I'll be at the Chief's market in Celina, Ohio on Saturday, Feburary 6th from 12 to 2 doing a cooking demo. I'll be cooking Chorizo-Chicken Quesadillas with Cilantro Lime Crema for a hearty appetizer for game day and Amaretto Cherry Crepes with Hot Fudge and Creme Anglaise for the perfect Valentine dessert.
Come by and learn how to cook these very easy dishes and impress your friends, family and loved ones with delicous and tasty gourmet dishes. Everyone will be impressed and no one will guess how easy they were to make.
And better yet, for both dishes your can prep and cook everthing ahead of time and then just have a little last minute assembly and cooking that will have these done in a flash.
Chorizo-Chicken Quesadilla with Cilantro-Lime Crema
Amaretto Cherry Crepes with Hot Fudge and Creme Anglaise
Friday, January 22, 2010
Amaretto Cherry Filling
Ingredients
2 one-pound bag frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
2 cups cherry or apple juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of Amaretto liquor or almond flavoring
4 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with enough cold water or juice to dislove and make a slurry.
Preparation
Mix 2 cups cherry or apple juice and sugar into a 4 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add thawed cherries and any juice in bag. Return cherries and liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in cornstarch slurry to thicken. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. If too thick add 2 tablespoons of water at a time until consistency is similar to pie filling. Add Amaretto and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Note: Depending on sweetness of juice, you may want to add another 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar if you want this as sweet as pie filling. I'm not into really sweet desserts, so I like this with less rather than more sugar.
2 one-pound bag frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
2 cups cherry or apple juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of Amaretto liquor or almond flavoring
4 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with enough cold water or juice to dislove and make a slurry.
Preparation
Mix 2 cups cherry or apple juice and sugar into a 4 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add thawed cherries and any juice in bag. Return cherries and liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in cornstarch slurry to thicken. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. If too thick add 2 tablespoons of water at a time until consistency is similar to pie filling. Add Amaretto and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Note: Depending on sweetness of juice, you may want to add another 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar if you want this as sweet as pie filling. I'm not into really sweet desserts, so I like this with less rather than more sugar.
Amaretto Cherry Crepes with Hot Fudge and Creme Anglaise Sauces
If you’re looking for a dessert to melt your valentine’s heart, this one is sure to do the job. There is wonderful cherry filling with just a touch of almond, creamy, rich chocolate and a lovely vanilla custard sauce that adds sophistication to the dish. Although, it may look challenging on first glance, this recipe is very, very easy and to make it even better, it can be made completely ahead of time and assembled at the last minute. Can served warm or cold.
Ingredients
8 Dessert Crepes
Amaretto Cherry Filling or 1 can of cherry pie filling with 1 tablespoon of Amaretto mixed in
Hot Fudge sauce
Crème Anglaise sauce
Toasted slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar for garnishing the plates
Preparation
Place crepe on work surface and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Amaretto cherries and roll up (like a tube) and place in center of dessert plate. Drizzle with Hot Fudge sauce (re-warm if made ahead) and Crème Anglaise sauce. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar for garnish.
Ingredients
8 Dessert Crepes
Amaretto Cherry Filling or 1 can of cherry pie filling with 1 tablespoon of Amaretto mixed in
Hot Fudge sauce
Crème Anglaise sauce
Toasted slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar for garnishing the plates
Preparation
Place crepe on work surface and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Amaretto cherries and roll up (like a tube) and place in center of dessert plate. Drizzle with Hot Fudge sauce (re-warm if made ahead) and Crème Anglaise sauce. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar for garnish.
Chorizo-Chicken Quesadilla with Cilantro-Lime Crema
Ingredients
• 2 chicken boneless breasts or 4 boneless thighs rubbed with olive oil and salt and pepper
• 4 large (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack and/or mild Cheddar
• 1/2 pound fresh chorizo (in tube)
• 2 scallions, chopped
Cilantro-Lima Crema:
• Handful cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and zest from one lime
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
Prepration
For the Cilantro-Lime Creme: Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth.
For the Chicken: Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan to high heat. Cook chicken until done (160 degrees). Set aside for 4 to 5 minutes to let juices reabsorb. Slice chicken into julienne pieces and set aside.
For the Chorizo: Preheat a nonstick skillet to high heat. Remove casing and crumble into pan. Break up pieces. Cook until well done, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
For the Quesadilla: Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan to high heat. Blister a flour tortilla for 20 seconds, flip. Cover half the tortilla surface with shredded cheese, bits of chorizo and chicken and chopped scallions. Fold the tortilla in half and cook a minute longer, about 30 seconds on each side, pressing down gently with a spatula.
To serve: Place 1 quesadilla on each plate and cut into quarters. Drizzle with the Cilantro-Lima Crema.
Makes 4 dinner servings or 8 appetizer servings
• 2 chicken boneless breasts or 4 boneless thighs rubbed with olive oil and salt and pepper
• 4 large (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack and/or mild Cheddar
• 1/2 pound fresh chorizo (in tube)
• 2 scallions, chopped
Cilantro-Lima Crema:
• Handful cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and zest from one lime
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
Prepration
For the Cilantro-Lime Creme: Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth.
For the Chicken: Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan to high heat. Cook chicken until done (160 degrees). Set aside for 4 to 5 minutes to let juices reabsorb. Slice chicken into julienne pieces and set aside.
For the Chorizo: Preheat a nonstick skillet to high heat. Remove casing and crumble into pan. Break up pieces. Cook until well done, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
For the Quesadilla: Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan to high heat. Blister a flour tortilla for 20 seconds, flip. Cover half the tortilla surface with shredded cheese, bits of chorizo and chicken and chopped scallions. Fold the tortilla in half and cook a minute longer, about 30 seconds on each side, pressing down gently with a spatula.
To serve: Place 1 quesadilla on each plate and cut into quarters. Drizzle with the Cilantro-Lima Crema.
Makes 4 dinner servings or 8 appetizer servings
Dessert Crepes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the pan during cooking
Special equipment: a 10-inch crepe pan or a 10-inch nonstick skillet, pastry brush, heat-resistant mixing spatula (silicon), 8 pieces of parchment paper to place between crepes to prevent sticking.
Preparation
Blend milk, eggs, flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and salt in a blender or food processer, scraping down side once or twice, until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a pitcher or large measuring cup with spout. Let batter stand at room temperature 1 hour (this prevents tough crêpes).
Heat the skillet over moderate heat until hot, about 30 seconds, brush surface of skillet with melted butter sand wipe with paper towel, then pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting to coat bottom evenly.
Cook until underside is pale golden, 11/2 to 2 minutes. The edges will just be turning golden brown, then loosen the edges of the crêpe with a heat-resistant spatula and flip crêpe with the spatula.
Cook until underside is pale golden, 30 seconds. Transfer crêpe with spatula to a work surface or plate lined with parchment paper or foil, turning over so that side cooked first is facedown.
Repeat for remaining seven crepes, placing a piece of parchment paper between each crepe.
Crepes can be made ahead 2 to 3 days and refrigerated (bring to room temperature before filling)
Makes about 8 crepes
Notes: If this is your first time, make a double batch of batter. Several things can go wrong during crepe making, but just make extra batter and keep trying till you get the hang of it. You'll love the results.
Too Hot Pan: Your batter should sizzle just a bit when you add it to the pan, but if it bubbles up out of the pan, it is way too hot and the center will burn before the crepe is done.
Too Much Batter: You crepe will the thick, not a horrible mistake to make, but you won't get eight if they are all too thick and one of the great pleasures is the delicate balance of crepe texture and taste with the fillings and sauces, so a thin crepe works the best. Use a measuring cup to measure out the batter until you get a good eye for how much you need for your pan.
Batter is Too Thick: If you pour your batter into the pan and when you tilt it, it doesn't move, your batter is too thick. Many things can cause this, but you'll just need to add a 2 tablespoons of milk at a time until you get your batter to the right consistency. It should slowly spread when you tilt the pan.
Batter is Too Thin. If your batterspreads immediately to the edges of the pan as you pour it in, its too thin. Pour it back into the blender/processor and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and mix. Test the batter in a pan and if still too thin add another 2 tablesppons. Do not add too much flour as it will change the ration to the other ingredients and the texture and flavor of the crepes.
Trying to Turn Too Soon: Be patient. Wait for the edges to start to turn brown and crispy and the surface of the crepe to become opaque.
Flipping and Ripping: You do not turn crepes like pancakes. You want to use the spatula and slip it underneath the middle of the crepe and lift straight up (the sides will be drooping down), then flip quickly. It takes a little practice, but even if the crepe rips, it will still tates great and you can just cover the ripped part up with sauce and it will look beautiful.
Tilting the Pan: Once you pour in the batter, its just a twist of the wrist to tilt the pan slowly in a circle to evenly spread the batter out. A good method to try is to point your thumb up as you're holding the pan and draw a circle with your thumb in the air counter-clockwise. If you tilt it all to one side and its not a round crepe, just roll that side under when serving. The more you do it, the better you'll get at it.
Parchment versus waxed paper. I don't recommond using waxed paper to keep the crepes from sticking to gether as you make them, they are quite hot coming out of the pan and if the wax melts, it could affect the taste of your crepe and I'm not sure how healthy that would be. If you have a GFS (Gordon Food Supply) store near you, they carry a 50 pack of commercial-sizesheets, that I cut to fit my cookie sheets and then cut into squares to place between the crepes, but Amazon. has a source for sheets as well.
Don't be discouraged by all the notes, I want to make sure that you have all the info you need to be a successful crepe maker. Making crepes is one of the best things to learn how to cook, since you can make them into a main dish with a savory filling, like creamed or curry chicken or a dessert crepe filled with cherries or ice cream or cheesecake fillling. The variations are limited only by your imagination. They're great to make ahead and warm for a quick dinner for yourself or guests. Crepes can make even the most ordinary of days special.
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the pan during cooking
Special equipment: a 10-inch crepe pan or a 10-inch nonstick skillet, pastry brush, heat-resistant mixing spatula (silicon), 8 pieces of parchment paper to place between crepes to prevent sticking.
Preparation
Blend milk, eggs, flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and salt in a blender or food processer, scraping down side once or twice, until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a pitcher or large measuring cup with spout. Let batter stand at room temperature 1 hour (this prevents tough crêpes).
Heat the skillet over moderate heat until hot, about 30 seconds, brush surface of skillet with melted butter sand wipe with paper towel, then pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting to coat bottom evenly.
Cook until underside is pale golden, 11/2 to 2 minutes. The edges will just be turning golden brown, then loosen the edges of the crêpe with a heat-resistant spatula and flip crêpe with the spatula.
Cook until underside is pale golden, 30 seconds. Transfer crêpe with spatula to a work surface or plate lined with parchment paper or foil, turning over so that side cooked first is facedown.
Repeat for remaining seven crepes, placing a piece of parchment paper between each crepe.
Crepes can be made ahead 2 to 3 days and refrigerated (bring to room temperature before filling)
Makes about 8 crepes
Notes: If this is your first time, make a double batch of batter. Several things can go wrong during crepe making, but just make extra batter and keep trying till you get the hang of it. You'll love the results.
Too Hot Pan: Your batter should sizzle just a bit when you add it to the pan, but if it bubbles up out of the pan, it is way too hot and the center will burn before the crepe is done.
Too Much Batter: You crepe will the thick, not a horrible mistake to make, but you won't get eight if they are all too thick and one of the great pleasures is the delicate balance of crepe texture and taste with the fillings and sauces, so a thin crepe works the best. Use a measuring cup to measure out the batter until you get a good eye for how much you need for your pan.
Batter is Too Thick: If you pour your batter into the pan and when you tilt it, it doesn't move, your batter is too thick. Many things can cause this, but you'll just need to add a 2 tablespoons of milk at a time until you get your batter to the right consistency. It should slowly spread when you tilt the pan.
Batter is Too Thin. If your batterspreads immediately to the edges of the pan as you pour it in, its too thin. Pour it back into the blender/processor and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and mix. Test the batter in a pan and if still too thin add another 2 tablesppons. Do not add too much flour as it will change the ration to the other ingredients and the texture and flavor of the crepes.
Trying to Turn Too Soon: Be patient. Wait for the edges to start to turn brown and crispy and the surface of the crepe to become opaque.
Flipping and Ripping: You do not turn crepes like pancakes. You want to use the spatula and slip it underneath the middle of the crepe and lift straight up (the sides will be drooping down), then flip quickly. It takes a little practice, but even if the crepe rips, it will still tates great and you can just cover the ripped part up with sauce and it will look beautiful.
Tilting the Pan: Once you pour in the batter, its just a twist of the wrist to tilt the pan slowly in a circle to evenly spread the batter out. A good method to try is to point your thumb up as you're holding the pan and draw a circle with your thumb in the air counter-clockwise. If you tilt it all to one side and its not a round crepe, just roll that side under when serving. The more you do it, the better you'll get at it.
Parchment versus waxed paper. I don't recommond using waxed paper to keep the crepes from sticking to gether as you make them, they are quite hot coming out of the pan and if the wax melts, it could affect the taste of your crepe and I'm not sure how healthy that would be. If you have a GFS (Gordon Food Supply) store near you, they carry a 50 pack of commercial-sizesheets, that I cut to fit my cookie sheets and then cut into squares to place between the crepes, but Amazon. has a source for sheets as well.
Don't be discouraged by all the notes, I want to make sure that you have all the info you need to be a successful crepe maker. Making crepes is one of the best things to learn how to cook, since you can make them into a main dish with a savory filling, like creamed or curry chicken or a dessert crepe filled with cherries or ice cream or cheesecake fillling. The variations are limited only by your imagination. They're great to make ahead and warm for a quick dinner for yourself or guests. Crepes can make even the most ordinary of days special.
Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or 6 ounces semisweet and 6 ounces dark (60%) chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
Preparation
Put cream, corn syrup and butter in microwave bowl and
microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Re-warm Hot Fudge Sauce in microwave for one minute at a time until warm stirring to mix in between each minute.
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or 6 ounces semisweet and 6 ounces dark (60%) chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
Preparation
Put cream, corn syrup and butter in microwave bowl and
microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Re-warm Hot Fudge Sauce in microwave for one minute at a time until warm stirring to mix in between each minute.
Makes about 2 cups
Crème Anglaise Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Preparation
In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan bring half-and-half and heavy cream just to a boil over medium to med-high heat (use lower heat for lighter weight pans – do not recommend using a non-stick pan as the Teflon may fleck off into the custard). Be careful to keep a close eye on the milk. It will boil over quickly if you don't get it off the heat as soon as it starts to boil.
While cream mixture is heating, in a bowl whisk together yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch until slightly thickened and pale, about 2 minutes.
Add hot cream mixture in a stream, whisking, to bowl (set bowl on rubber mat or silicon pot-holder to hold bowl in place), then transfer custard back to pan.
Note: do not scrape any clumps or browned custard (if any) into bowl and remove any lumps or browned bits from pan before transferring custard back.
Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a thermometer registers 180°F., about 2 minutes (do not let custard boil). Transfer custard to cleaned bowl and cool to warm, stirring occasionally. Crème anglaise may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered (press plastic wrap into surface to avoid crusting). Keep refigerated.
Makes about 1 2/3 cups
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Preparation
In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan bring half-and-half and heavy cream just to a boil over medium to med-high heat (use lower heat for lighter weight pans – do not recommend using a non-stick pan as the Teflon may fleck off into the custard). Be careful to keep a close eye on the milk. It will boil over quickly if you don't get it off the heat as soon as it starts to boil.
While cream mixture is heating, in a bowl whisk together yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch until slightly thickened and pale, about 2 minutes.
Add hot cream mixture in a stream, whisking, to bowl (set bowl on rubber mat or silicon pot-holder to hold bowl in place), then transfer custard back to pan.
Note: do not scrape any clumps or browned custard (if any) into bowl and remove any lumps or browned bits from pan before transferring custard back.
Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a thermometer registers 180°F., about 2 minutes (do not let custard boil). Transfer custard to cleaned bowl and cool to warm, stirring occasionally. Crème anglaise may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered (press plastic wrap into surface to avoid crusting). Keep refigerated.
Makes about 1 2/3 cups
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Freshest Whipped Cream
As a Christmas present to myself, I purchased the iSi Whipped cream maker and extra chargers. I have drooled over this in the kitchen catalogs and coveted for a long time. But since my friends tease me about knocking out a wall and adding an addition to hold all my kitchen gadgets, I've been reluctant to add things to my collection, unless I really, really needed it.
So, by really big need was that I wanted to make cinnamon flavored whipped cream to go with apple crisp that I was making for a neighborhood get together on New Years day, instead of purchasing cinnamon ice cream. Easy justification. $40 whipped cream maker versus $6.00 ice cream. Ah, but it was Christmas and don't I deserve to be indulged too? And it's reusable.
Well, to me it justified its self with the first use. Not only was it easy to use
and the results were absolutely fabulous, but the amount of fun to be had was totally unexpected. Everyone wanted whipped cream not only on their apple crisp, but all the other deserts that were brought to our neighborhood potluck. And it would have melted the grinch's heart to see our friends little girls (4 and 6) holding out their hands to have "just one more" spray of cinnamon whipped cream put into their hands and watching them dip their faces down into the fluffy pile and gobble it up. Just adorable. Best gadget I've bought all year! Will make whatever you're putting it on taste better.
So, by really big need was that I wanted to make cinnamon flavored whipped cream to go with apple crisp that I was making for a neighborhood get together on New Years day, instead of purchasing cinnamon ice cream. Easy justification. $40 whipped cream maker versus $6.00 ice cream. Ah, but it was Christmas and don't I deserve to be indulged too? And it's reusable.
Well, to me it justified its self with the first use. Not only was it easy to use
and the results were absolutely fabulous, but the amount of fun to be had was totally unexpected. Everyone wanted whipped cream not only on their apple crisp, but all the other deserts that were brought to our neighborhood potluck. And it would have melted the grinch's heart to see our friends little girls (4 and 6) holding out their hands to have "just one more" spray of cinnamon whipped cream put into their hands and watching them dip their faces down into the fluffy pile and gobble it up. Just adorable. Best gadget I've bought all year! Will make whatever you're putting it on taste better.
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