Your favorite new recipe so far for 2010?

[Canice]

Title says it all: what's your best find so far?

[little_bopeep]

I'm really starting to appreciate Rachael Ray more and more...


Big Boy Bolognese with Pappardelle


Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into small dice or ground
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground pork
1 onion, cut into small dice
1 carrot, cut into small dice
2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves, 1/3 palmful
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups beef stock
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup whole milk or cream
1 pound pappardelle or fettuccine pasta
A few handfuls Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more to pass at table
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, chopped

Yields: Serves 4-6

Preparation

In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork to the pot and brown 12-15 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 8-10 minutes more.
Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano, stir in the tomato paste for a minute or so then add wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce wine by half, 2-3 minutes then stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and thicken sauce 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add milk or cream and simmer while water comes to boil and the pasta cooks.

When you're ready to serve, bring large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: just before draining reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water.
Drain the pasta and toss it back into the pot it was cooked in, along with the reserved cooking water, about a cup of grated cheese and a couple of handfuls of chopped parsley. Add half the pasta sauce and toss well to coat.

[Wendi]

I know we've had a babka thread or two, but the recipes weren't what I remembered. My aunt gave me her recipe which I prepared to rave reviews...then made a few changes, baked another batch, and it's absolutely awesome. You need to start the night before...lots of steps but really quite easy and the dough is very easy to handle (thank goodness).

With Aunt Thelma's love and my tweaks...enjoy:

Chocolate Babka

½# butter
½ C milk
2 ½ C flour
¼ t salt
2 T sugar
1 1/2 C sugar- divided (1c, ½ c)
2 pkg yeast
¼ c very warm water
3 eggs separated (refrigerate whites)
1 t cinnamon
1 C walnuts
½ C raisins
¾ C semi sweet chocolate

Melt butter w/ milk over low heat; set aside. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Whip egg yolks and stir into yeast mixture. Combine flour, salt, 2T sugar, and mix well. Stir yeast/egg mixture into flour…add milk and butter. Beat until well blended. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Next day…bring egg whites to room temp, then whip, gradually adding 1 C sugar until thick and fluffy. Take dough out of fridge and divide in half. You may need to let it approach room temp for easier handling. Roll half of dough into 20x12 rectangle on lightly floured board. Spread half of egg white mixture over dough…sprinkle with half of: sugar, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, and choc chips. Roll like a jelly roll and place seam side down in 10” tube pan. Repeat with other half of dough and everything else. Both filled rolls should be laid like C’s in the tube pan…OR place each dough roll (sort of bent/folded in half) in 2 loaf pans (my preference). Brush top with an egg wash

Bake at 350 for about an hour (start checking at 40 min) until lightly browned. Cool in pan about 20 minutes- remove.

[TieKitty]

For some reason, whenever I see "Babka" I think of Jerry Seinfeld.

My favorite so far was posted by Blazedog. I'm sure there is a thread about it.

"Smothered Chicken and Barley"

1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried mint flakes
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
6 (4 oz each) chicken thighs, skinned
1 TBS soy sauce
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
1 1/4 cup pearl barley
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
6 TBS chopped green onions

Combine first 7 ingredients - rub on chicken.

Heat 1/2 tsp oil and add chicken. Cook 1 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.

Add onions, bell peppers and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, barley and remaining spice mixture. Stir well. Add chicken. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and cook for 55 inutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with green onions.

[ljt2r]

I tried to settle on just one and could not.

[foodfiend]

I love this cake! I reduce the amount of chocolate chips to 2 cups.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

TIME: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 12

1 and 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 csugar
1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 c shredded zucchini
3 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 11" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk in the zucchini and 11/2 cups of the chips. Stir into the flour mixture just until blended. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups chips over the cake. Spread with a small spatula as they melt to form an icing, placing back into the warm oven, if needed, for about 1 minute.

[cvgirl81]

My favorite new one is Antipasto Penne. It was very good served warm and the leftovers are good just eating it as a pasta salad.http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/re...ipe_id=1940997

[Andrea_2]

I'm really starting to appreciate Rachael Ray more and more...


Big Boy Bolognese with Pappardelle

I made this last night, and it was great! I got a late start on it to begin with, and then it still hadn't simmered down enough by 1½ hours, so we didn't eat until 10 pm! We really enjoyed it though. The leftovers tasted even better for lunch today. Thanks for the recipe!

[Kate B]

So far mine is Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese Corn Mug Toppers (I just made corn muffins and added scallions and blue cheese):

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes...rn-Mug-Toppers

Great thread -- I'm getting lots of good ideas. Thanks for starting it, Canice!

Kate

[Aninha]

Almond Butter Banana Muffins!!

From the ones I tried this year these muffins were by far the favorite recipe!! Love almond butter!
Here is the link for my blog with pictures and recipes: Almond Butter Banana Muffins

Here is the recipe in case you want to try, and I also made a Pumpkin variation with the same recipe which was equally yummy! (also posted on the blog)
Ana

Almond Butter and Banana Muffins
(adapted from Heather's Blog: HEAB)

3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup almond butter (or another nut butter of choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oat flour (simply process oats in your blender or food processor until it becomes flour if you don't have this)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour - I am going to try that next time)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (omit if you use salted nut butter)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350F and line or spray muffin tins.
In a bowl stir together the bananas, almond butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix everything together just until combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes (check at 18, mine were done by then)
Yields 10 nice muffins

[drewberry4]

Definitely these - the from-scratch version of the peanut butter cookie that won last year's Pillsbury Bakeoff. Oh my.

[charley]

This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe. It calls for salt on top, but after the first batch I didn't bother. Great cookies (with or without the added salt)! Love the larger ratio of oats to flour!

Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel for sprinkling on top)


1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and stir until well incorporated.

3. Roll into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fork gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on each cookie. (optional)

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Yield: about 34 cookies

~adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Personal notes: Baked for 15 minutes and didn't bother rotating the sheets. Placed cookies directly on racks to cool.





and my own recipe for baked ziti ...

Baked Ziti

3 links hot Italian sausage, broken up
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
olive oil
Marsala wine
@ 20 ounces of pureed tomatoes
4 oz. sharp Cheddar, shredded
4 oz. Mozzarella, shredded
1 oz. Parmesan, grated

Brown sausage. Set aside. Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic, then deglaze with wine. Add tomatoes and simmer for an hour or two.

Cook ziti till al dente. Add to sauce along with 2/3 of cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

[Sheila in MD]

This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe. It calls for salt on top, but after the first batch I didn't bother. Great cookies (with or without the added salt)! Love the larger ratio of oats to flour!

Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies

I love these as well...a friend of mine introduced me to them-he also ditches the salt but adds Raisinettes-YUM!!!! Another friend though just brought me some Maldon Sea Salt from the UK and I am thinking I need to try the original version with it...

Sheila in MD

[heavy hedonist]

thanks from me too, zackaboo-- those cookies are just what i need for a friend of mine who is off wheat...

and Charley, i'm going to make that ziti go veg sometime! veg sausage... baked ziti is one of my deepest loves.

and i've snapped up so many recipes from this thread, i have to thank you too Canice! wish i had one to contribute, but my favorite thing i've made all year is a super fresh garden chili i made in the crockpot but don't have a recipe for-- and i'm annoyed that i'll never be able to make it again exactly as i did. it got huge raves and was the best meal i've had all year; i made 6 qts., there were no leftovers.

[BarbaraL]

So far mine is Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese Corn Mug Toppers (I just made corn muffins and added scallions and blue cheese):

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes...rn-Mug-Toppers
Kate

My family loves buffalo wings, so I want to try this. How spicy is it? 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper hot sauce and a jalapeno?

[Kate B]

My family loves buffalo wings, so I want to try this. How spicy is it? 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper hot sauce and a jalapeno?

Hi Barbara,

It had a nice bite, but not overwhelming. I love hot and spicy foods so I might even add a bit more hot sauce next time.

Enjoy -- let me know if you try it!

Kate

[sugaree]

DH and I have had the Costa Rican Style Tilapia with pineapples, black beans and rice twice in the last week, and this from a family who rarely repeats anything. It's from Simply Deliciouso on Food Network and was a wonderful break during a long winter! I'd like to try it with mango sometime, I bet it would be killer!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ws/page-2.html

[Seachelle]

I have repeated this several times since January. My "picky" eaters love it!

http://community.cookinglight.com/sh...ighlight=dijon

[alissa.z]

I think my top one so far has been a Braciole recipe from Giada.

[applecrisp]

Such great ideas. Thanks to Canice for starting this thread and to everyone posting your new favorites. I just added a few recipes to my to try file.

I have some oats and choc chips screaming to be used, so the recipe that Zackaboo posted caught my eye. And, thanks for reminding me about the barley recipe -- that caught my eye when it first came out but I've never tried it.

The cookie recipe calls for oat flour so I was just going to whirl some oats in my food processor to pulverize it. I've never done it before --would that make it fine enough and be ok? Just not sure if that would get all the oats as it "flies" around the processor bowl.

Thanks.


Here's the recipe that she posted and her comments.

The Heart-Healthiest Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 cups walnuts
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (recipe calls for vegan...I used regular)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.

Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a fine meal. Add canola oil, and blend 2 to 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.

Whisk together brown sugar and ½ cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain.

Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.

Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


Source:
"Vegetarian Times Issue: February 1, 2009"
Yield:
"30 cookies"

NOTES : When you replace butter and eggs with ground walnuts, and all-purpose flour with a blend of oat flour and oatmeal, you get a moist, chewy, vegan cookie that’s loaded with good-for-your-heart ingredients.
__________________

[zackaboo]

Such great ideas. Thanks to Canice for starting this thread and to everyone posting your new favorites. I just added a few recipes to my to try file.

I have some oats and choc chips screaming to be used, so the recipe that Zackaboo posted caught my eye. And, thanks for reminding me about the barley recipe -- that caught my eye when it first came out but I've never tried it.

The cookie recipe calls for oat flour so I was just going to whirl some oats in my food processor to pulverize it. I've never done it before --would that make it fine enough and be ok? Just not sure if that would get all the oats as it "flies" around the processor bowl.

I actually have oat flour on hand now, but I have used that method for another recipe and it worked out just fine. They don't need to be completely ground up. All this talk of these cookies and I am definitely going to have to make another batch!

[applecrisp]

Thanks Zackaboo for the info -- happy to hear that whirling the oats in the food processors works fine. I'm hoping to make them this weekend.

[karen w]

apple crisp,

I just made these cookies this past week. Can you say. . . YUM!!! Anyway, I never keep oat flour around. Anytime a recipe calls for oat flour, I just put the equivalent amount of old fashioned rolled oats in the food processor and whiz it up. It is never as fine as AP flour, but this method has always worked for me. And the cookies turned out great. This will become one of my new favorites.

Karen