My assignment this month for the Secret Recipe Club  is Hilary’s  blog baking bad .  In my opinion, she bakes rather ‘good’!  Her recipe index is awesome!  I chose to prepare the Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp. I always have some kind of shrimp for the holidays – usually shrimp cocktail, but this one caught my eye.  It’s simple to make, has a bit of a kick – and lot’s of butter! :o)  The only change I made was to use peeled shrimp and some black pepper. Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
from Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ingredients: 2 pounds Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On 2 sticks Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Pieces 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper 1 whole Lemon, Juiced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp. Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly. Serve with hot crusty bread. Peel and eat the shrimp, then dip the bread into the butter in the bottom of the pan.

Buffalo wings are sold everywhere these days.  Sport bars, chain restaurants and most of them contain the same ingredients.  Breaded or deep-fried wings and hot sauce.  This one is a little different.  The chicken is marinated as in a fried chicken-style marinade of buttermilk and keeps the white meat juicy and moist.  It might take a few extra minutes, but the result will be a crunchy, juicy, fiery and tender boneless buffalo chicken.
You will need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup hot sauce (I sincerely hope you use Frank’s Original)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups cornstarch
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Canola oil for frying

Marinate:  Combine chicken, buttermilk, and salt in a large zip-lock bag and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.  Combine hot sauce, water, sugar, butter and 2 tsp. cornstarch in saucepan.  Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Coat:  Whisk egg white in shallow dish until foamy.  Stir flour, baking soda, remaining cornstarch, and 6 Tbsp. hot sauce mixture in second shallow dish until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels.  Toss half of the chicken with egg whites until well coated, then dredge chicken in cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere.  Transfer coated chicken to plate and repeat with remaining chicken.

Fry:  Heat oil over medium-high heat until oil registers 350 degrees.  Fry half of chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking.  Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken.

Toss:  Warm remaining hot sauce mixture over medium-low heat until simmering.  Combine chicken and hot sauce mixture in large bowl and toss to coat.  Serve with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing:

• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 6 Tbsp. sour cream
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

~Adapted from Cook’s Country 2009
Visit Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays! 

This seems to be the week for Slow-Cookers.  I really don’t use mine that often, but I’ve been seeing some really good recipes from my foodie buds.  I’ve never tried anything with Jamaican Jerk seasonings, and this recipe uses alot.  It’s a good idea to go through your spices every one in a while and replace the ones that have been in the spice rack for more than 5 years!  When you pull out the spices to make this, I’m sure you’ll need to replace something, something that you don’t use that often. 
For the Jerk Rub:

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. each black pepper, ground allspice and ginger
• 1 tsp. each kosher salt, onion powder, red pepper flakes, dry mustard, ground nutmeg and cinnamon

Coat 3-3-1/2 lb. boneless pork loin roast.

For the Jerk Sauce:

• 1/2 cup brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 Tbsp. minced jalapeno
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

Combine all rub ingredients and coat pork with rub mixture.  Sear in 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until browned on all sides.  Transfer pork to slow cooker.  Stir together jerk sauce ingredients and transfer sauce to slow cooker.  Peel 2 lbs. sweet potatoes and cut into 2-inch chunks.  Arrange potatoes around roast, cover slow cooker, and cook on high setting for 3 hours.

Peach Salsa

• 3 cups canned peach slices, diced, or fresh, if possible
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper
• 2 Tbsp. jalepeno pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Stir in 3 Tbsp. Orange juice, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer roast to a cutting board.  Remove potatoes to a large bowl; reserve sauce.  Add 1/2 cup milk, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar to potatoes.  Mash until smooth then season with salt and pepper. (These potatoes taste like sweet potato pie with a little kick – delicious!) Slice pork and serve with sauce and potatoes with salsa on the side. ~Adapted from Cuisine at Home

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This recipe is a typical one with two rising periods.  Most of this time it’s the yeast working and not you!

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 packet active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon salt

6 cups bread flour

Toppings of your choice – I used “everything bagel” topping

Proofing the Yeast:

Pour the water, hot from the tap, into a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.  As the water dissolves the sugar and warms the bowl, it cools somewhat and should be just right for activating the yeast – somewhere between 95 and 115 degrees is fine.  Add the yeast and let the mixture sit for 5 or 6 minutes until it begins to bubble and show signs of life.

Don’t add the salt yet.  Yeast doesn’t like salt and will be happier if you add it after you stir in the first cup of flour.  

Stir in your first cup of flour into the yeast mixture and add the salt.  Then stir in 4-1/2 cups more flour.  When the dough begins to hold together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready to knead.

If you like to knead by hand, by all means do so.  I use the dough attachment of my stand mixer.  Knead for 3 to 4 minutes adding a little flour at a time so the dough is not sticky.  Let rest for 15 minutes and continue kneading another 3 to 4 minutes.

First Rising

Form the dough into a nice, round ball and place it in your greased bowl, turning it over so the top has a thin layer of oil on it.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap.  It’s a good idea to grease the underside of the plastic wrap so that it won’t stick if the dough comes in contact with it.  Put the dough in somewhere cozy and let it rise until doubled in bulk.  This will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.  After it has risen, punch the dough down and cover it and return it to it’s cozy spot.  Let rise again – about 45 minutes.

Shape the loaf tucking the ends underneath into the center – this will be the bottom of your loaf.  Turn the loaf over and tidy it up if necessary.  Place is on a piece of parchment paper a little bigger than your dutch oven.  Cover with a towel while we preheat the oven.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

Place your dutch oven, top and bottom in to preheat for 30 minutes.

When your oven is ready, remove both top and bottom of heated dutch oven (careful!).

Pick up your loaf with the parchment paper and place it in the bottom half.  Use a mister spray to spray your loaf.  Sprinkle with your favorite toppings and cut two slits with scissors or a razor.  Cover the pot and place it in the oven.  Let bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.

The dutch oven is the secret to a fabulous homemade bread!

Take out some butter to soften while the bread cools and enjoy!

~Patti

~Adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookbook

I’ve been buying alot of fruit lately, and no one is eating it.  I bought a whole watermelon (not a huge one) and if I eat any more I’ll be floating down the street!  Instead of a fruit salad, I came across this sherbert recipe. It’s super easy and no ice cream maker necessary!
You will need:  

• 3 cups watermelon puree ( just puree in your blender)
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup sugar

Place watermelon in a blender container or food processor bowl.  Cover and blend until smooth.  Repeat with additional watermelon until you have 3 cups of melon puree. In a large mixing bowl, combine watermelon puree, heavy cream, buttermilk, sugar and a few drops of red food coloring (optional).  Stir the mixture until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan.  Cover and freeze 2 to 3 hours or until almost firm. Break the frozen watermelon mixture into chunks.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, but not melted. Cover and freeze until firm.  Makes 1-1/4 qts. Note:  I preferred this sherbet soft-serve consistency.  After it was frozen firm, I micro-waved it for 30 seconds, then beat it again with the mixer and it was smoother and creamier.

The Polish Easter Babka celebrates the return of the egg to the diet after the Lenten Fast. Babka is always at the Easter Feast.  This is a Babka of a completely different sort.  Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy directions, I just wanted to make it as easy as possible!!

Proofing Sponge 

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp. sugar

2 packets active dry yeast

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Activating the Yeast

Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl and dissolve it in the sugar and the yeast.  Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and let this small sponge work for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and expanded

Dough

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 recipe Cheese Filling (see below)

1 egg white beaten with 2 tsp. water for wash

Making the Dough

Scald the milk in a small saucepan.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and sugar.  Stir to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar.

When milk mixture has cooled, beat it and the eggs (and the extra yolk) into the active yeast.  Add 2 cups of flour and the salt and mix thoroughly.  Add the raisins and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Stir until this holds together and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead for 3 to 4 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Add only enough flour to keep it from sticking to the board or you.

Place the dough into a greased bowl, turning it so the top is also greased.  Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

While the dough is rising, make up the cheese filling.

Cheese Filling

14 oz. Farmers Cheese (two 7 oz. packages)

If you can’t find the dry curd cheese you can substitute cottage cheese set over a strainer and drained.

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. lemon extract (optional)

Shaping

When dough has risen, turn it out onto your floured board, cut it in half and shape each into a ball.  Cover with a towel and let the dough rest 15 minutes.

Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle 10 x 18 inches.  Spread cheese filling down the center third of each rectangle and form a braid.

Cut strips about 1 inch wide from each side of the filling out to the edges of the dough.  Fold about an inch of dough at each end over the filling to contain it.  Then fold the strips, at an angle across the filling, alternating from side to side.

Place the shaped loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  The dough will not rise much this time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy with your coffee on Easter Morning!!