Peach-Lacquered Chicken Wings

3 garlic cloves
1 (3-inch) piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup peach or apricot preserves or jam
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
4 lb chicken wings, tips removed if desired

Preheat broiler. (We love these on the grill as well, just make sure your grill is nice & hot.)
With motor running, drop garlic into a food processor and finely chop. Add ginger and finely chop.
Add preserves, soy sauce, water, and red-pepper flakes and pulse until sauce is combined.
Line bottom and sides of a large 4-sided sheet pan with foil and lightly oil foil.
Pat wings dry and put in sheet pan. Season with 3/4 tsp salt. Pour sauce over wings and toss to coat, then spread in 1 layer.
Broil wings 4 to 6 inches from heat 5 minutes, then turn over and baste with sauce from pan. Continue to broil, rotating pan and turning and basting 3 more times, until chicken is cooked through and browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine, Image courtesy Romulo Yanes

my aunt's delightful cookies

These are pretty much the best things ever. My Aunt Becky's cookies made by her lovely granddaughters, Aspen & Jessica. See more of 4th of July pics at REECE.

homemade ketchup

I can't think of a better weekend to try homemade ketchup.
Have a very happy 4th!

MAKES ABOUT2 3/4 CUPS
ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN START TO FINISH:3 HR (INCLUDES COOLING)
1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Purée tomatoes with juice in a blender until smooth.
Cook onion and garlic in oil with 1/4 tsp salt in a 4-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add spices and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add tomato purée, tomato paste, brown sugar, and vinegar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, 45 to 55 minutes (stir more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching).
Purée ketchup in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Chill at least 2 hours (for flavors to develop).
COOKS’ NOTE: Ketchup keeps, chilled, 1 month.

recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine
image courtesy Romulo Yanes

Bruschetta

Recipe courtesy Goop
image courtesy Goop
2 loaves of fresh pane pugliese (or your favorite country-style bread), cut into 3/4" thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, cut in half
good olive oil
coarse salt
Grill the bread over a medium flame for about a minute on each side or until toasted and just barely charred at spots. Rub both sides of the bread with the cut side of the garlic. Drizzle one side generously with olive oil (at least a tablespoon and a half per slice). Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

Italian Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

image courtesy google imaging

Ingredients
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup, recipe follows
2 cups cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish
crushed raspberries if you wish

Directions:
Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.

Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.

Hands-Free Raspberry Jam

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

1 C or 1/2 pint raspberries
1 C sugar

1 8oz jar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the raspberries and sugar into two separate bowls; I use pie plates, so the fruit will be spread out rather than piled up. Put the bowls into the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are really hot. Take them out of the oven carefully, and add the sugar to the raspberries. As you do so you'll find the fruit turns into a molten, ruby-red river. Pour this into the cleaned and waiting jar. Fasten it, and leave to cool before storing in the fridge. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Recipe & photo v. How To Be A Domestic Goddess. Photographer Petrina Tinslay

Buttermilk Fantails

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

1 stick plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 tsp active dry yeast (from a 1/4oz package)
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 Tbsp mild honey or sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
11/2 tsp salt
3/4 c well shaken buttermilk

a muffin pan with 12 cups

Butter muffin cups with 1 Tbsp melted butter.
Stir together yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
Mix flour, salt, buttermilk, and 6 Tbsp melted butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with 1/2 Tbsp butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into a muffin cup. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.

Cooks’ note: Rolls are best the day they’re made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe & photo v. Gourmet Magazine. Photographer Romulo Yanes

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake
Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson
My changes & additions in italics.

For the cake:
2 2/3 C All Purpose Flour (sifted)
3/4 C plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 c light brown sugar
1/4 c best quality cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 c plus two tablespoons sour cream
you can substitute applesauce, I think it is better.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 vegetable oil
1 1/3 C chilled water

For the fudge icing:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
1 C plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 3/4 C confectioners sugar sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter or spray and flour two 8 in cake pans.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk together eggs, sour cream (or applesauce) and vanilla until blended. Using a standing or hand-held mixer; beat together the the melted butter and vegetable oil until just blended, then beat in the water. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed. Add the egg mixture, and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into the prepared tins.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake-tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes,and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave, 2-3 minutes on medium should do it. In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy. Add the sifted confectioners sugar and beat again until everything is light and fluffy. Gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth. Sandwich the middle of the cake with about a quarter of the icing, and then ice the top and sides as well.
Serves 10, or 1 with a broken heart.

Recipe & photo v. Nigella Bites. Photographer Francesca Yorke

For more recipes visit NOSH

Mustard Roast Beef

Mustard Roast Beef
Recipe courtesy Donna Hay
My changes & additions in italics.

2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/4 C olive oil, plus one tablespoon extra
4 lb boneless beef rib eye
or just a really beautiful roast.
1/4-1/2 C Dijon mustard depending on taste
1 stick room temperature butter
kitchen string

Remember to take the beef out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before you sear it or put it in the oven, this will ensure even cooking.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the mustard seeds, salt, pepper and thyme in a mortar and pestle and pound until lightly crushed. Add the oil and pound until combined. In a separate bowl combine butter and Dijon mustard until completely integrated. Combine spice mixture and mustard mixture, set aside.
Brush the beef with the extra oil. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high and cook the beef for 1-2 minutes each side or until brown. remove from the pan. Secure with kitchen string and rub the mustard mixture over the beef. Place on a rack in a baking dish and roast for 1 1/2 hours for medium rare (I use a meat thermometer, and remember that the meat continues to cook after you remove it from the oven.) Serves 4-6 After roasting, cover the meat with foil and rest in a warm place for at least 10 minutes to allow the meat to relax.
I always make a sauce from the pan drippings. Simply put the roasting pan on to your stove top and on medium high heat, add either beef broth or red wine and reduce down a bit and you will have a beautiful sauce to accompany your beef.

Recipe & photo v. Donna Hay Magazine issue 39. Photographer Chris Court
*Donna Hay's recipe measurements have been converted from the metric system.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Recipe courtesy Meikel Reece
3 images courtesy Google Images

4 Yams or Sweet Potatoes (there is a difference, see here.)
I generally do a potato for each person I want to serve.
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground pepper
Ceyanne Pepper (optional)
Olive oil

For the Fry Sauce:
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Mayonnaise (I use Veganaise.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel yams and cut into 1/2 inch fries or wedges which ever you prefer. Put on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil until well coated (not dripping just gleaming really) and sprinkle with pepper (not salt, it will pull out the water and make the fries soggy). Place in oven for 20-35 minutes depending on the oven.

In a separate bowl combine equal parts Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, ketchup & mayonnaise combine and set aside.

Test your fries, they should be fork tender. Turn your oven to broil and watch until golden brown. Immediately salt and serve with your fry sauce.

Double-Coconut Cake

Double-Coconut Cake
Recipe courtesy Cooking Light 2001
3 images courtesy Google Images

I usually insist on making my cakes from scratch, but I almost think this one is better if you use a box mix. There is something about the lightness that comes from a white cake box mix. Just add 1 tbsp coconut extract to your cake mix and split into two nine-inch rounds. I also prefer less coconut on the finished cake and then I serve with a bowl of shredded coconut on the side. I also really like unsweetened shredded coconut. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon cake flour
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter -- softened
2 large eggs
1 can light coconut milk -- (14-ounce)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Fluffy Coconut Frosting
2/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes -- divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

3. Combine 2-1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup Fluffy Coconut Frosting. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1/3 cup coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 14 servings.

Roasted Tomato, Eggplant and Haloumi Burger

Roasted Tomato, Eggplant and Haloumi Burger
Recipe Courtesy Donna Hay
*My changes & suggestions in italics.

2 vine ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
olive oil, for brushing
4 burger buns, halved, wheat buns are delightful with this.
1 eggplant (abergine), thinly sliced
8 oz Haloumi (or a couple of slices per burger)
You really could use a variety of cheeses, but haloumi is delicious.
Garlic Mayonnaise (recipe to follow)
caramelized red onions (recipe to follow)
Arugula
Hot sauce for serving

Garlic Mayonnaise
place 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Vegannaise) 2 crushed cloves of garlic (it is delicious with roasted garlic) salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomato on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until cooked. Set aside. Brush the bun halves with oil and place on a baking tray. Grill (broil) under a preheated hot grill for 1 minute or until golden. Set aside.

Heat a char-grill pan or barbecue over high heat. You can also roast the eggplant, just follow same instructions for tomato. Brush the eggplant with oil and char-grill, barbecue or roast until cooked through. Set aside. Brush the haloumi with oil and char-grill, barbecue or roast until each side is golden.

Spread the bun halves with garlic mayonnaise and top with the tomato, eggplant, haloumi, caramelized onions and arugula.
Serves 4

Recipe & photo v. Donna Hay Magazine issue 41. Photographer Chris Court
*Donna Hay's recipe measurements have been converted from the metric system.