Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

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pineappleupside

Who doesn’t remember this cake from their childhood? I remember my “Aunt Sissy” making a notorious Upside-Down Cake. She’s been gone for quite a few years now. Unfortunately I wasn’t into cooking and/or baking at that time. So, sadly I never got the recipe. However, this recipe was close, and certainly brought back memories.

The cake itself is ultra moist and dense. The lovely caramelized sugar and pineapple rings on top are loaded with flavor, and make for a beautiful presentation as well.  It would be an excellent choice to make for an upcoming Holiday get together, as “that time of year” will be here before we know it. I know I can’t speak for anybody else – but I myself cannot wait! I’m counting down the days my friends. Enjoy!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

7 slices canned unsweetened pineapple (20-ounce can)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
19 maraschino cherries
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9×2-inch round cake pan. Drain pineapple and place in one layer on paper towels to absorb the excess juice.

2.  Place the 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in the cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted. Tilt to coat all sides with butter. The extra butter will settle in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan.

3.  Place one pineapple ring in the center of the pan and arrange six more around it. Place the maraschino cherries in the center of each ring and in the spaces between them.

4.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and vanilla with a fork.

5.  In a mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk. Beat on low speed just until the flour is moistened, then increase the speed to medium, or high if using a handheld mixer, and beat for exactly 1½ minutes. The batter will be stiff. Add one-third of the egg mixture at a time, beating for exactly 20 seconds and scraping the bowl after each addition. Scrape the batter over the fruit in the pan and spread evenly.

6.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and tilt the pan in all directions to detach it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before unmolding.

7.  Invert a serving platter on top of the pan. Cover your hands with oven mitts and turn the cake onto the platter. Lift off the pan. If any fruit or cherry pieces are askew, use a fork to push them back into place. If any brown sugar is left in the pan, scrape it up and spoon it over the cake. Serve warm or cool.

Source:  Brown Eyed Baker,  originally from Joy Of Cooking

Minestrone

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minestrone

We’ve had a slight chill in the air this week. As you might be able to tell from my last post, I’m thinking about fall. I’ve really been trying to go through my collection of cookbooks, as I have collected such a wonderful assortment over the years. This one is no exception. It’s written by Henry Hill, the notorious mobster that the film “Goodfellas” is based off of. Now, let me just say what a great “food movie” Goodfellas is. The razor thin garlic? The cannoli incident? So many good scenes. But, I digress. You get me talking about any classic mafia movie, and I could go on for days!

There are so many great recipes in this book, I diddn’t even know where to begin. After much deliberation, I decided on this wonderful minestrone. It was delicious, and a relatively easy. It wasn’t super quick as far as cooking time goes – at 2 hours. But, for me, as a general rule of thumb – a good soup can’t come together quickly. Just the way it is folks!

I like to pre-cook my pasta first. I find that it doesn’t get quite as overcooked in the leftovers that way. I used elbow macaroni in this batch – but feel free to use whatever you like or have handy. This is really a “clean your fridge” out kind of meal. Lots of room for additions and substitutions. I kind of felt like maybe it would benefit for corn? Or some canelli beans perhaps? I was out of Parmesan cheese (I know! I know!), but I’d definitely top the soup with some before serving. Or, if you happen to have a rind laying around in the refrigerator or freezer, feel free to toss that into the mix as well. Just make sure you remove it before dishing it up!

Serve with a nice green salad and some crusty bread. Perfect for the cool fall evenings we have ahead of us!

Minestrone

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 lb bacon or pancetta, diced

1 large onion, peeled and coarsley chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 leek, white and green parts, sliced

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes and juice

2 10.5 oz cans beef broth

2 cups water

large handful green beans

1/2 pound cabbage, sliced and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 small zucchinis, diced

1 cup pasta, cooked according to package directions

1/2 fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot. Add bacon or pancetta and cook, stirring, over medium heat 5-8 minutes (do not brown). Add carrots, celery, and leek and cook 5 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft. Crush or quarter the tomatoes. Add tomatoes and juice, broth, and water to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Snap off ends of green beans, break into approximately 2-inch pieces and add to pot. Add the cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, parsley, and dried herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, taste for seasonings  and cook for 1 more. After the second hour, add the cooked pasta and stir. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind if using.

Source:  adapted from The Wiseguy Cookbook by Henry Hill

Spicy Turkey Panini

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turkeypanini

I came across these panini sandwiches while I was expecting our son Andrew. It was an instant hit with both myself, and the husband. I couldn’t believe how flavorful this sandwich was, or how easy it was to throw together. In fact, in the last week before Andrew was born, Jon took over all cooking duties for me. It might sound simple enough, but it’s actually quite a feat for him.

He cooked the usual things that men (well, most of them!) are capable of cooking…spaghetti, hot dogs, tacos. In other words, processed/ground meat central. But, he also decided to go out on a limb for himself and made these paninis. I did assist him a little in the chopping of the jalapenos. I would have been waiting all night for him to chop up 2 of them – bless his heart. My point is they are wonderfully easy. Takes 20 minutes to throw together…tops!

Spicy Southwest Turkey Paninis

1 sourdough boule or loaf, sliced in pieces 1/2″ thick

3/4 lb oven roasted deli turkey, sliced thin

2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4″ thick slices

1/2 lb Pepper Jack cheese, sliced (sandwich size is ideal)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp hot sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and ground black pepper

Whisk mayonnaise, hot sauce, jalapeno, and cilantro in a small bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, toss red peppers with the olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Heat large non-stick grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange peppers in a single layer in the pan, place a square of aluminum foil on top (that way you don’t kave to wash the pan you weigh down with!), then place a dutch oven, or any other heavy bottomed pan on top of the peppers to weigh them down. Cook, stirring peppers occasionally, until peppers are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out pan.

To assemble the paninis, spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on each slice of bread. Lay 2 slices of cheese onto one side of the bread. Top with turkey, red peppers, and remaining cheese. Arrange remaining bread, mayonnaise-side down, over cheese.

Heat grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight down with Dutch oven (you can use the aluminum foil trick here as well). Cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Source: Cook’s Country

Chicken Enchiladas

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chickenenchiladas

I think if my husband had to choose his favorite dish, aside from a big honking steak, it would be enchiladas. I had never had them before meeting him. My mom was a great cook, but ethnic dishes were few and far between in our house. The first time I had them, my father-in-law made them for a football game.  I took one bite of that saucey-gooeyness and realized what I had been missing my whole life. He was a fan of using pork, which, I really would like to try.  But, we always have large quantities of chicken in the freezer here…

This recipe originated from America’s Test Kitchen, but I’ve changed quite a few things over the years. It is certainly a favorite in our house, and I’m sure it will be one in yours as well. Don’t be afraid to play around with the ingredients. Sometimes I add diced green chiles, sometimes chopped black olives. Or, this time of year, when I have jalapenos overtaking the garden, I’ll throw in a couple of those that have been diced. The only limit with these is your imagination!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

1 medium onion , chopped fine
1 tsp. vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic , minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp. ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tbsp. pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray
Salt
Ground black pepper

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool. Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible. Place onion mixture in a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces. Add to the bowl along with the onion mixture. Add in 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheddar cheese, the chopped jalapeños, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

4. Stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds. Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean work surface. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla around the filling and lay them seam-side down in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

5. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes until the tortillas are starting to slightly brown on the top. (If you dont’ like a bit of crunch in your enchiladas, just skip this step completely)

6. Reduce oven temperature to 400. Remove enchiladas from oven and pour remaining sauce over to coat them thoroughly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.