Blue Cheese Souffle

I am a total sucker for Hollywood award shows. I of course must first blame Jen Barone Pettis for exposing me to these indulgent shows in college and then next, my folks. Back in the day, on 'The Hill', January signaled the start of 'Sundays of decadence'. We would all gather on our Triple V couch to watch the red carpet, enjoy and bash style and argue over who should take home the award. Jen can't take all the blame, my folks have been known to get dressed in gowns and tuxedos, broil some lobster tails, pop open the bubbly only to bust out the TV trays and watch the academy awards...as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Yes, guilty pleasures :) Tonight kicks off the first of the award show string and decadence must follow. My girls and I will be rocking our fanciest nighties and keeping this festive, frivolous tradition alive.

As I've said, I don't bake. Well, I don't bake well. I don't really like precision. A recipe that must be followed precisely or it fails petrifies me. Because of this I typically stay away from Souffle's. They just sound scary and beg to fall flat. I learned of this a few weeks ago (yes, from Ina again) and it is pretty solid. You can serve the souffle in 4 ramekins or if you have larger souffle dish, go for it. Because of the fluffy egg whites, the souffle looks impressive and the taste is everything you'd expect from blue cheese. Because blue cheese is rich, I recommend serving this with peppery, bitter greens, figs and a light baguette. And if you're up for the award shows, this dish begs to be paired with a little bubbly ...pelligrino, apple cider or the real stuff!

From my table to yours...
mmm

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more, for greasing
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk, hot
• 4 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 5 egg whites
• Pinch cream of tartar
  

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare 4 (8-ounce) ramekins or a 1 1/2 -quart souffle dish by greasing with butter and coating with Parmesan.
• Make a roux base by melting 3 tablespoons butter over low-medium heat. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
• Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour, do not brown.
• Add the hot milk to the roux and continue to whisk until the mixture is smoothly thickened. Remove from heat.
• Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
• Season with salt, pepper, and mustard.
• Stir in the cheese.
• Chill while preparing the egg whites.
• In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar just until they hold soft peaks.
• Fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the roux mixture to lighten it.
• Then gently fold in the rest.
• Pour into the prepared ramekins or souffle dish and place on a cookie sheet.
• Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes.
• The souffle is done when it has puffed over the rim, the outside is golden and the center jiggles slightly.
• Serve with peppery bitter greens, figs and light baguette
  
  

Asian Salmon served with Crunchy Noodle Salad

The holiday decorations are down (almost), the refrigerator is free from overindulgent leftovers and lingering sweets have been donated to the office kitchen. I am so ready for something fresh, spicy and NONTRADITIONAL!

The Food Network is featuring hours and hours of low-fat cooking shows, but the Barefoot Contessa always gets my vote. Not sure if it's her gorgeous Cape Cod home, the way she moves through her kitchen with confidence and grace or the glow she gets when she serves her friends amazing meals, but whatever 'it' is...I walk away feeling inspired.

A few weeks ago Ina whipped up this Crunchy Noodle Salad and Asian Salmon dish and I just couldn't get it out of my mind. It's the perfect menu for a nice luncheon, dinner party, or cut the recipe in half and enjoy a late night meal with a friend. The flavors are full, colors bright and the taste...mmmm.

From my table (well, really Ina's) to yours...

Crunchy Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
• 1 pound sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
• 4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  

Directions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender.
• Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.
• For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
• Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl.
• Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.
  

Asian Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet (1 1/2 inches thick)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions (2 scallions)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (8 large cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
  

Directions

• Line an 8 by 12-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the salmon in the pan.
• In a mixing cup, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, scallions, garlic, and ginger.
• Pour 1/3 of soy sauce mixture over the salmon fillet.
• Sprinkle the panko evenly over the fillet.
• Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture evenly over the panko.
• Be sure to soak the panko completely and if any runs off, spoon back onto the salmon.
• Set aside for 15 minutes, leaving all the sauce in the pan.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Roast the salmon for 18 to 20 minutes, or for about 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature will be 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer when it's done.
• Remove from the oven, wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Saturday Morning Quiche

Yes, making hash browns from scratch is preferred, but if you're in a pinch, but still have the craving, here you go!

Saturday Morning Quiche

Crust Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen hash browns, defrosted in microwave
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• Butter Pam
• Salt & Pepper

Crust Directions:

• Spray a 10” pie plate with Butter Pam.
• Mix defrosted hash browns with melted butter.
• Salt & Pepper to taste.
• Press mixture into pie pan and bake in 450 oven for 25 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:

• ¾ cup ham or thick sliced Canadian bacon, chopped
• ¾ cup eggs, beaten well
• 1 cup half/half
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup green onion, sliced thinly
• Salt & Pepper
  

Directions for filling:

• Mix all together adding salt & pepper to taste and beat well with a whisk.
• Pour into cooked crust and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.
  
  Top with a dollop of sour cream and your favorite hot sauce if you like.

Brunch for a Crowd

This is a great 'do the night before' breakfast recipe - perfect for Christmas morning. Clean up the mess the day before, pop it in the oven as kids are opening their stockings and by the time you're ready for your first mimosa...breakfast is ready! Mexican food is my all time favorite and this is a great way to add a little feliz navidad to your morning.
Merry Christmas,
Cam

Brunch for a Crowd
Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bread, trimmed and cubed
• 1 1/2 # ground sausage, cooked and drained (you can use breakfast, Italian or chorizo)
• 2 C milk
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• 6 eggs
• 1 - 1 1/2 # shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 1 can sliced olives (optional)
• Optional toppings: Sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, avocados, salsa, etc.

Directions:

• Grease casserole dish
• Place cubed bread in dish (cover the bottom of the dish)
• Add cooked, drained sausage (2nd layer)
• Add half the shredded cheese
• In bowl, beat the eggs with milk, salt mustard and green chilies.
• Pour egg mixture over the sausage, bread and cheese layers.
• Top with remaining cheese. Use as much or little as you like.
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours
• Remove foil and bake another 15-30 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.
• Cool for 10 min and serve~
• Great to top with your favorite salsa, sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatoes and guacamole.

Luscious, Creamy, Cheesecake

Guess this week is 'all things mom'. While the coffee cake says Christmas morning, cheesecake says everything else! I have a good-sized crew that will echo... my mom's cheesecake seriously ROCKS. If you're into the thick, lighter New York-style cheesecake...this IS NOT your recipe. BUT, if you're into luscious, creamy, rich and OH MY GOSH decadent cheesecake...look no more.

This is the number one requested item at all family functions - especially Auntie Linda's Thanksgiving feast! However, I will note, DO NOT attempt to replace any of the below ingredients with 'light' or 'low fat' products...as my step-sister Krisi learned painfully(sorry, Krisi, had to share to save others). Hey, moderation can totally start in a few weeks.

From my table and my mom's to yours...

Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

• 6 T butter
• 24 graham crackers
• 1/4 C sugar

Layer 1 - Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 2 -8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 3/4 C Sugar
• 2 t. Vanilla
• 1 t. Lemon juice

Layer 2 - Topping Ingredients:

• 1 C Sour cream
• 1 t Vanilla
• 3 1/2 t Sugar

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Graham Cracker Crust:

• In small saucepan, melt butter.
• Place graham crackers in a zip lock bag and press with a rolling pin until finely crushed - you need about 1 1/2 cups of crushed crackers. (I think they sell crushed graham crackers in a box now too) This is best done in small batches.
• In a medium-sized bowl, add the graham crackers and sugar - mix.
• Add the melted butter.
• Mix with your hands until moist (sorry, Sarah, had to use that word).
• Press into 9-inch pie pan

Layer 1 of the cake:

• Combine layer 1 ingredients, beat until fluffy.
• Pour batter into graham cracker crust.
• Bake 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

Topping:

• Combine topping ingredients, pour into pie, back another 10 minutes.

Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

My mom makes a few items that not only represent taste, but Christmas morning tradition to our family. In fact, she's been known to set-up quite the assembly line baking up to a dozen of her mom's legendary Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cakes. She now invites the grandkids to help and ships the goods to Colorado, Palm Springs and sometimes even Nevada! My mom lost both her parents in a tragic plane crash when she was in her early 3o's. .. so cooking and baking some of Grandma Sylvia's favorite dishes is not only a treat, but also our way of keeping her memory alive.

Of course each of the kids and grandkids like little twists - some with raisins, some without, some with nuts, some without. But what is unanimous...all of us LOVE and look forward to Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake....in fact, I know this is now an added tradition for many of my friend's families...like the Greenhaw's, Redfern's and Elliott's.

From my kitchen, my mom's kitchen and my grandma Sylvia's kitchen,
Enjoy

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

• 1C Butter
• 1 1/2 C Sugar
• 2 Eggs, beaten well
• 1 t Vanilla
• 1 C Sour Cream
• 2 C. Cake Flour (Swanson's boxed cake flour - NOT normal flour)
• 1 t. Baking Powder
• 1/2 t Baking Soda
• 1/2 t Salt

Topping:

• 4 T Sugar
• 1/2 C Nuts, finely chopped (Almonds, pecans, or nothing)
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1/2-3/4 C Mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 C Golden Raisins (only in the center layer, NOT on top and can be totally optional. Bryson always prefers NONE)

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs well.
• Add butter, sugar, vanilla and sour cream - beat very well.
• In a second bowl, add sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a third, smaller bowl, combine the topping ingredients: sugar, nuts, cinnamon and mini chocolate chips.
• Grease a tube pan (NOT A BUNDT PAN)
• Pour half of the batter into the tube pan.
• Sprinkle half of the topping and all of the raisins (if you're using them)
• Pour the remaining batter and then top with the remaining topping mixture.
• Bake for 50 minutes.
• Completely cool before removing from pan.

Rum Cake: For Grown-Ups

Pumpkin pie, apple pie, cheesecake...all lovely and very traditional. If you're looking to change it up, but don't want to stray too far from tradition, add this to your dessert buffet. I am not a huge baker, so I love bundt cakes - no need for perfection! This cake isn't too sweet and has the perfect kick after you mack down all that turkey.
From my table to yours...

Rum Cake
Ingredients:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 package (3 3/4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c cold water
• 1/2 C dark rum
• 1/2 C salad oil
• Rum Glaze (recipe follows)
• Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)
• 2 T chopped nuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 10 inch tube pan with Pam and flour.
• Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, water, rum and oil until smooth.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake for an hour. Cool 25 minutes.
• Invert on cake platter (or dish that has ample space for dripping the glaze around bottom of cake).
• Using a toothpick, make small stabs on the top of the cake (so the glaze will absorb slightly).
• Spoon and brush Rum Glaze evenly over the cake.
• When cake is fully cooled, drizzle with Chocolate Glaze topping and sprinkle with nuts.

Rum Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 C water
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1/2 C dark Rum

Directions:

• Melt butter in saucepan.
• Stir in water and sugar - boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 t butter

Directions:

• Melt chocolate and butter on very low heat in saucepan until melted.