Dad's Recipes |

Yogurt Chocolate Cake

24 Gennaio 2009 2 commenti

Though this is a simple cake to make, it’s excellent in taste and remains fresh for several days. It’s also lighter than other cakes due to the use of oil and yogurt in place of butter and milk.

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1/2 cup corn oil

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

3 eggs

1 tablespoon baking powder

Few drops of lemon juice

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 350F (180C).

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, oil, melted butter, yogurt, cocoa powder and the two yolks.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a bit of salt and a few drops of lemon juice. Beat until creamy and firm. You may want to add one tablespoon of sugar to make it thinker.

Gently add the whites to the other ingredients, one spoon at a time.

Add the baking powder, mix well and pour in a greased baking pan.

Bake in the over for 40 minutes. Let it cool and then decorate as you like.

Enjoy!

Dad's Recipes, Merende golose

Making pizza at home is always a fun and yummie experience. Making it from scratch, using sourdough starter is a great thing to do when you have spend a rainy weekend at home. You start on Friday night by gently awakening the starter…

Get a small piece of starter from the fridge, the size of a plum (8 oz, 100g). Cut it in pieces, place in a bowl, mix it with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of unbleached, organic wheat flour. It must be fluid. Cover it with a ‘press and seal’ foil. Cover the foil with a fabric sheet. It must remain moist. Let it rest the whole night.

The morning after it will be very bubbly and have a very stingy, sour smell. By that, you can tell you that your starter is still very active.

In another bowl, put 2 cups of flour and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well.

Slowly add the liquid starter and keep mixing. Knead for 10-15 minutes until very smooth and resilient.

Put it back in the bowl. Cover with a ‘press and seal’ foil and the fabric sheet. Let it rest and raise for 4/6 hours.

Once well raised, remove it from the bowl, knead it and cut in small bowls of 1/2 lb (225 g) each. The balls will have to rest and raise again for about 1 hour. Make sure you cover them with a plastic foil and a fabric sheet (better if humid).

By Saturday evening you should be able to make, bake and eat your pizza!

Turn on the oven at the max temperature (450F, 230C). If you have it, place the oven stone in it. It will help to cook your pizza to perfection.

Flatten a dough ball with your hands. Distribute tomato sauce and mozzarella crumbs on it. Put it on a oven foil (it will help to place it in the oven).

Place it in the ovenand let it cook until the crust gets slightly burned and the mozzarella is perfectly melted.

Remove from the oven, place it on a wooden plate and spread dried origano on it.

Enjoy!

Dad's Recipes

Pork Loin simmered in milk and Basmati rice

12 Gennaio 2009 1 commento

Ingredients:

1 pork loin (about 2lbs – 1kg) – with or without bones;

1/4 gallon of whole milk

1/2 onion, celery and carrots (chopped)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

mixed herbs (bay leaves, sage, rosemary – thin chopped)

2 cups basmati rice

1 small onion

cloves

1 teaspoon salt

For the roasted pork loin:

1. Mix the herbs and the salt with the olive oil, pour on the meat and with your hands massage the loin to gently let the herbs and the salt enter the meat;

2. Heat the oil in a pot and brown the meat on all sides (this way the meat wil remain juicy and tender);

3. Add chopped carrots, celery, onion and milk. Cover and place in preheat oven at 350F (180C) for 45 minutes;

For the Basmati Rice:

4. Heat to boil2 pints of water with 1 teaspoon of salt

5. Make three holes in the onion with a tootpick and put the whole cloves in them. Add the onion to the water;

6. Add rice, cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heating and cover the rice. Let it rest until all the water is absorbed by the rice;

7. Cut the loin in 5 mm thick slices. Put the juice and the vegetables in a blender and reduce it to a smooth sauce.

8. Serve the loin with rice and its sauce.

Yummie.

Hint: The sauce can be used as a tasty pasta dressing!

Yogurt Chocolate Cake

Sourdough Italian Pizza

Pork Loin simmered in milk and Basmati rice