Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

3 C all purpose flour
One half teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Cream together two sticks room temperature butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar
When creamed together add four large eggs
And 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add zest from three lemons
Add juice from two lemons

Add dry ingredients
Alternate with (total) 1 cup buttermilk

Buttermilk alternative: take one cup whole milk and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Let stand 30 minutes

Fill cupcake liners

Bake at 325° rotating halfway over a period of 25 minutes

Make your own lemon curd
Ten egg yolks plus two whole eggs into glass bowl
Separate yolks
Beat with 1+ cup sugar
Add 1 cup lemon juice
This continually
Place glass bowl on top of simmering water
Do not let egg yolks solidify
When it starts to thicken add 2 tablespoons butter

Create Meringue
2/3 cup water . Boiling
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
Heat until exactly 230°

Meringue
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form
Add in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pour hot simple syrup into egg whites with mixer running on medium high

Add thin layer of lemon curd over top of cupcake

Use star tip and piping bag to cover top with meringue frosting

Use Crim Brulé torch to caramelize top

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Blueberry Cupcakes

Blueberry Cupcakes
ala Martha Stewart

1 2/3 C Cake flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
> Sift thru fine sieve
> toss blueberries in flour, sift, separate, set aside

1/2 C unsalted butter
2/3 C granulated sugar
> cream them together
Add 2 large eggs
> mix
3/4 C sour cream
> mix
1 tsp vanilla
> mix
Add sifted dry ingredients
> mix
Add blueberries and fold together

Add into cupcake tins with paper inserts

Mix white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon
> sprinkle over top

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes

FROSTING
10 TBL butter
8 oz creme cheese
3 C sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
> strain blueberry jam
> add 3 tbl jam into frosting without mixing
> put into piping bag
> pipe onto muffins

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sift together
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 Tbl Dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 C melted butter into bowl of mixer
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
2 lg eggs
Add 1 Cu buttermilk
Add dry ingredients (above)
Add 1.5 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp vinegar in bowl
Add to mixer bowl

Add to lined cupcake pan
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes
Rotate halfway through

Cream cheese Frosting
10 TBL butter
8 oz creme cheese
3 C sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
> strain blueberry jam
> add 3 tbl jam into frosting
> mix well till pink
> spread with offset spatula

Serve chilled

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

 

ALTERNATE RECIPE

    • DRY INGREDIENTS
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 1.5 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder
    • WET INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp red gel food coloring
  • 1 C buttermilk – room temp
  • 1 egg – room temp
  • 1/2 C coconut oil melted
    • FOLD TOGETHER JUST TO COMBINE
  • Pour into cupcake molds (only 1/2 way up)
  • Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes (clean toothpick)
  • Let cool
    • PREPARE MARSHMALLOW COATING
  • 1/4 C Water
  • 1 packet gelatin
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
    • In your sauce pan
  • Add 1/4 C water
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/3 C light corn syrup
  • a pinch of salt
    • Heat to 240º  F  (115º C)
  • Drizzle into the gelatin mixture while mixing
  • Beat on medium until it is fluffy and bright white
    • PIPE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INTO CENTER
  •  

 

Shortcut Ravioli

Ravioli dough for the do-it-yourselfer

  • 1.25 C flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 C whole wheat flour, 1/2 C very cold butter
  • Cut above ingredients together
  • Add 1 cold egg, 1/3 C very cold water and 1 TBL white vinegar or lemon
  • Wrap in plastic and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes
  • Roll until flat, then cut into circles or squares

Shortcut Ravioli

Use won ton wrappers
Mix ingredients
Place small amount in center
Top with second wrapper
Wipe edges with egg wash
Press, removing air pockets
Secure with fork
Place in simmering water for 2-4 minutes
Plate in oven safe dish as follows:
. Sauce
. Ravioli
. Sauce
. Cheese
Heat in oven 5-10 minutes to brown cheese
Top with basil chiffonade and serve

Braising – Tips and Tricks

Braising . Which cuts?

More flavor
Harder worked muscle groups
Legs, neck, shoulder

Slow cooker

Brisket
First cut . Square, fairly uniform and rectangular
Second cut . Deckle . Marbling . Better braised
. Serve with reduced honey and brown sugar
. Like bacon ?

Chuck Pot Roast
. Chuck eye . Shoulder
. Plate short ribs . Tasty
. Cut Flunken style . Lots of meat

Oxtail . Lots of connective tissue
. Braise on the bone
. Brown, water, salt, pepper

Center cut veal shanks . Oso buco
. Ask for the hind shank

Lamb shanks . Fore shanks
. Front shoulder
. Remove and cook separately

Lamb neck . Connective tissue
. Collagen breaks down slowly

Pork Butt
. Front shoulder
. Slow and pull for bbq

Spare ribs
. Leave skirt steak on

Pork belly
. Remove skin
. Sear fat side up

Chicken legs and thighs
. More flavor
. Grill, braise, fry

Chicken Tiki Marsala

Chicken Tiki Marsala

You can use pork for this also.
For vegetarian, use a portobello mushroom

In one pot, sauté above in EVOO or ghee (clarified butter)

HINT: when you cut chicken, put waxed paper down on your cutting board. This will keep it from becoming contaminated

Add to pan: six cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon curry, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, one half teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar

Add in one cup diced onion

Once onion has cooked down, put in one can crushed or diced tomato, and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Serve with naan

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Smoked Pork Cheeks

Based on a recipe by Chef Jeff Smedstad of Elote Cafe in Sedona. A few modifications have been made by Grandpa.

INGREDIENTS

STEP BY STEP

  1. The day before cooking, season the pork on all sides with Thunder Powder and refrigerate for 12-24 hours
  2. Transfer to a roasting pan and pour the premixed Coke, sesame oil, liquid smoke and orange juice over the pork.
  3. Cover roasting pan with the lid or foil.
  4. Roast for 3 hours at 300º until pork is fork tender.
  5. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
  6. When you are ready to eat, brush the pork cheeks with the pan juices and slide under the broiler in you oven until crisp and browned.

Baltimore Pit Beef

Baltimore Pit Beef
Per America’s Test Kitchen . Cooks Country

Use Top Sirloin Roast . About $6 per pound
Remove most of thick layer of fat
Cut in half to speed up cooking time

Cut should be on the rarer side

Seasoning . Dry rub
4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
Rub 2 tablespoons onto beef
Wrap in plastic and Refrigerate 6 to 24 hours

Cook for one hour at 300°
. Internal temperature about 100°
Remove meat from oven
Place cast iron skillet in oven
Increase oven temperature to 450°
Pat meat dry and apply remainder of dry rub
Put meat in skillet for 20 minutes
Internal temperature should be about 120° – 125°
If necessary, flip meat and cook another 20 minutes
Remove from heat and tent with foil 10 minutes
Slice thin against grain

Tiger Sauce
1/2 C (drained) horseradish sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Top with slivered onion and serve on bun

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Cucumber Harvest Breakfast

Cucumber Harvest Breakfast

Mix the following in a large bowl
1 tablespoon sugar
Large pinch salt
1-2 cups yogurt . Depending on taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Six mint leaves cut in Julian strips
or lime zest with juice
One large tomato, deseeded and cut in Julian strips

Optional anchovies, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, top with slivered onions and feta cheese, top with avocado slices

Mix in One large cucumber peeled, deseeded, and cut into three-quarter inch pieces. Let meld in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Nancy McAfferty’s Salsa Pie

Salsa PieThis was very very simple. She didn’t actually give me the recipe, but I got the photograph and recreated it based on that. I made a minor modification, in that I cut the block of cream cheese in half.


Get block of cream cheese and refrigerate.
Cut it lengthwise so that you have two very flat bricks.
Top with your favorite salsa.
Serve with Taco chips, doritos, Fritos, etc.

Tips: Pig Parts – Dissection

CLICK HERE for cuts from other animals


pork-chart


From America’s Test Kitchen and Sugar Mountain Farm.

Ever wonder where Ham Hocks come from? What’s the difference between the ribs and the spare ribs? What’s the difference between the loin and the center loin?

Here is a picture and an explanation of the Pig Parts and how to use them.

  • The buttocks are salted and pressed in order to eventually produce ham.
  • The ribcage meat is salted and smoked in order to get bacon.[6] Salt is rubbed thoroughly into each piece of meat and all surfaces are covered. Some formulas also include lots of black pepper. The bulk of the meat is cut and ground to produce various sausages, which are traditionally wrapped into the intestines of various sizes.[6]

Schematic representation of the main pork cuts.

The bulk of the fat is cut into small pieces. Some of it is fried to produce cracklings. Lard is made by rendering – heating fragments of fat in a large iron pot over a fire until it is reduced to simmering grease which congeals when cooled.[6] Lard is then stored in lard tins with tin covers. The typical tins in the US are five gallons.

The intestines are stripped by drawing them through a clenched fist. They are then washed, cut into short pieces, and fried to make chitlins.

The various “leftovers” are put into various forms of headcheese jelly, etc. Most parts of the pig are used in this traditional process, even parts of the skin that would normally be thrown away are preserved to be cooked with beans.

The smoke house is essential for the preservation and long term storage of hams, shoulders, bacon sides, and pork bellies. The meat is hung on racks and hooks in the smokehouse; and later smoked. Fragrant hardwood, such as hickory, beech, or cherry is allowed to smolder slowly in a pit below the hanging meat. This gives added flavor and color to the meat as well as serving to dry cure the pork.

Here is another bit of information:

Pork Cuts – Where do they come from?

Where does the meat come from?
Ham – front and back legs up to the haunches
Butt – from the shoulder
Pork loin – the top of the back near the rear of the pig
Loin ribs – Same as baby back, but closer to the rear
Baby back ribs – ribs nearest the spine
Spare ribs – ribs just outside the baby back ribs
St Louis ribs – the tips… past the spare ribs

Instructions

Spare ribs are a bit tougher so take longer to cook, but contain more meat.
Baby backs are faster cooking, more tender and take flavors well
Vaccuum packed ribs will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks

Info from Alton Brown


Make your own curry powder

Make your own curry powder

Ingredients
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 cup ground turmeric
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne

This mixture keeps for up to six months

When ready, use one or 2 tablespoons and grind in the spice grinder

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Lebanese eggplant moussaka

Lebanese eggplant moussaka

Large Eggplant . Halved and sectioned
Drizzle with oil, salt, pepper
Bake 10 minutes at 400°

Evoo in pan . Heat
Sauté one onion . slices
6 cloves garlic

Peel 4 tomatoes
Cut tomatoes
Add tomato sections, juice and all
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
Salt, pepper, mint, cumin

Cook 20 minutes at a simmer

Opt . Big halves crimini mushrooms

Serve with rice or pita

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Two-Ingredient Recipes

Sunny Anderson

Chorizo and Cheese Fundido
Put in cast iron pan and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Serve with warm tortillas

Beer and Cheese Sauce
Heat in sauce pan
Serve with pretzels

Lemon Mousse
Cool whip and lemon curd
Mix together and put in cups

Banana Chocolate Soft-serve Ice Cream
Frozen Sliced Bananas
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Mix in food processor
(Cheat: Splash of milk)

Pumpkin Blondie Brownies
Blondie Brownie Mix
Mix with can of pumpkin puree
Spread into pan with greased aluminum foil lining bottom
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees

Ranch Biscuits
Bisquick and Ranch Dressing
Mix, form and bake
Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Pizza Dough
Self rising flour – SIFT
Greek Yogurt

Parmesan Crisps
Parm Cheese and thyme
Drop onto parchment sheet
Bake until crisp

Flourless Chocolate Cake
4 eggs folded into chocolate hazelnut spread
(soften in microwave if necessary)
Mix together
Put in small ramekins
Bake at 325 degrees 30 minutes

Maple Souffle
3 Egg whites (beaten to soft peaks)
Add maple syrup to 3 egg yolks
Fold together gently – DO NOT OVER-MIX
Bake 350 degrees 10 minutes

Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

SELECT YOUR FAVORITE ENCHILADA SAUCE then proceed with recipe.

  1. Shred cooked chicken
  2. Put half into skillet to char
  3. Soft fry corn tortillas in hot oil
  4. Dip tortilla in enchilada sauce . Both sides
  5. Put chicken into tortilla
  6. 1/4 C Shredded cheese
    • Mozzarella, Queso Fresca, Monterey Jack or Cotija cheese
  7. Put in a bit more chicken
  8. Roll up and line up in casserole
  9. Top with more enchilada sauce and cheese
  10. Top with some bell peppers – skin charred and removed
  11. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes
  12. Let rest 30 minutes
  13. Serve individual enchiladas

Serve with

  • Pickled Onions – Slivered red onion and cider vinegar
  • Salt
  • Oregano

Clams / Mussels

Several dozen clams
White wine
Butter
Shredded Romano

Heat butter in hot skillet
– Add a bit of olive oil to keep butter from burning
Chopped or shaved garlic
Deglaze with white wine
Add clams into skillet

Clams should be closed
If they are opened, force it closed
If it stays closed, it is still alive
If it does not, discard it.

Cook only about 5 minutes
Sprinkle with Romano, salt and pepper

Serve hot with garlic bread

Hand Pie – Pocket Pie

Use your pie crimper for this recipe. Or you can just make little round pies and crimp them with a fork.

Slice up about two cups of peaches, apples, cherries, strawberries, blueberries… whatever

Grate in some fresh nutmeg
Put in three teaspoons granulated sugar mixed with one tsp cornstarch
Scant sprinkle of cloves
Lemon juice from one lemon

Put on heat and let simmer 8-10 minutes

Remove from heat to let cool

Use commercial pie crust or MAKE YOUR OWN.
Fill pie crust with a spoonful of filling, brush edge with egg white and crimp

Egg wash top, poke three small designer holes, then bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees

Sprinkle with a bit of crystal sugar

Let cool before eating

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