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Vanilla Bliss! Vanilla Raspberry Cake Bars
September 17, 2021

Vanilla Bliss! Vanilla Raspberry Cake Bars

This is a beautiful little cake cookie whatever–delicious, white chocolatey, and just a wee bit cookie textured. This recipe is an adapted version of the Lemon Vanilla Dream Bars recipe from the great little book Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever (Amazon).  You will find recipe…

Cookies, Desserts, Vegetarian
End-Of-The-Week Bean Soup
September 15, 2021

End-Of-The-Week Bean Soup

Tuesday is my day.  That’s the day when I sort out my refrigerator vegetable bins. Often, that means a hearty and ever-changing soup for me. That’s good news. I love soup, particularly during these early Autumn days with just the beginning of a chill in…

Beans, Soups, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
A Guilty Pleasure: Homemade Ranch Dressing
September 11, 2021

A Guilty Pleasure: Homemade Ranch Dressing

 

Guilty food pleasures.

Mine are Ranch Dressing, Cheetos and refried beans.

Yours?

And about that Ranch Dressing…

The recipe here is a homemade version of the iconic dressing introduced in 1950 by Steve Henson under the name Hidden Valley Ranch. Henson was a former construction worker and cook in Alaska. Faced with a dearth of perishable ingredients to work with, Henson fiddled around with dried ingredients until he came up with an early version of what would come to be known as Ranch Dressing. By the mid 1950s, Henson and his wife had relocated to Santa Barbara, California, where they opened up The Hidden Valley Inn. The rest is history. Their dressing exploded in popularity with people reportedly visiting the inn with empty glass jars to fill with the dressing and take home. To meet the demand (and to build their business), the Hensons quickly decided to package the dry ingredients for sale. Henson sold Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing to Chlorox in 1972. Ranch Dressing’s really big breakthrough came in 1986 when Doritos began selling Cool Ranch Doritos. What started as a local dish became an international rock star and an multi-million dollar business.

Over the years, Ranch Dressing has become the most popular salad dressing in America according to The Association of Dressings and Sauces. (Yes. There is such an organization. In fact, they’ve been around since 1926.) According to a survey they conducted in 2017, forty percent of Americans identify Ranch as their favorite dressing. Clever people that we are, Ranch has become much more than a salad dressing. You can find it on pizzas, as a sauce for chips and fries, and on and on. A restaurant in St. Louis, Twisted Ranch, features a Ranch-infused vodka. (Whoa on that one!)

Here is a spicy tribute to Henson: Jalapeno-Ranch Dressing. 

 

Jalapeno-Ranch Dressing

September 11, 2021
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Ingredients
  • 1/2 C. buttermilk
  • 1/2 C. mayonnaise
  • 3 large scallions (trimmed and finely-chopped)
  • 1/3 C. finely-chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 T. finely-choppeed jalapeno with seeds (or not)
  • 1 lime (zesterd)
  • 1/2 t. onion powder
  • 1/4 t. garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
Directions
  • Step 1 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together to combine. Season with 3/4 t. salt and 1/2 t. freshly-ground pepper. This recipe makes about 1 1/4 C.

 

This recipe is adapted from an Alexa Weibel recipe from the New York Times. You can find the original recipe here.

 

 

 

Salad Dressings, Vegetables, Vegetarian
“It’s Not Apricot!” Fruit Galette
August 28, 2021

“It’s Not Apricot!” Fruit Galette

I’ve told you before how I feel about stone fruits. They rock my world. But, alas, the season is coming to an abrupt end and I find myself scouring the produce aisles of my local markets for the last stone fruits of the season. I’m…

Desserts, Fruit, Fruits, Uncategorized, Vegetarian
Oldies But Goodies: Lentil and Bean Stew With Gremolata
August 24, 2021

Oldies But Goodies: Lentil and Bean Stew With Gremolata

Every month Blue Cayenne features one post from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. Here is a great Lentil and Bean Stew With Gremolata recipe. You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again. Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive? Just click one of…

Uncategorized
Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls
August 18, 2021

Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls

Flaky.  Buttery.  Soft. 

Trust me on this one. You need these rolls. 

Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls

August 18, 2021
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Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 T. whole milk
  • 5 1/3 C. bread flour
  • 1 1/2 t. yeast
  • 1 C. sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1/4 C. sugar
  • 4 t. Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 8 T. unsalted butter (cut into pieces and at room temperature)
  • 1/2 C. finely chopped chives
  • Flaky salt and freshly-ground black pepper for garnish
Directions
  • Step 1 Prepare a 9 by 13-inch metal pan by greasing generously with 2 T. butter. Be sure to grease the sides of the pan as well as the bottom. Set aside.
  • Step 2 Put 1/2 C. milk, 1/3 C. flour and 1/2 cup water into a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mashed potatoes. This will take about 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and spoon it into the bowl of a stand mixer. This is called a tangzhong. Set aside. (The stand mixer should be fitted with a dough hook.)
  • Step 3 Proof the yeast by stirring the yeast into the remaining milk that has been heated to around 105 degrees F. Once the yeast has pretty much dissolved in the warm milk, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit on your counter for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be foamy after the 5 minute rest.
  • Step 4 Add the sour cream, sugar, kosher salt, 2 of the eggs, 4 T. of butter and the remaining 5 cups of bread flour to the bowl with the tangzhong. Add the dissolved yeast mixture to the bowl and, using the dough hook, mix on low speed until you have a shaggy dough. Increase the speed of your mixer to medium and continue to knead the dough with the dough hook for another 8 to 10 minutes. You want the dough to become smooth and supple. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally as you mix/knead the dough. If your dough is very sticky, you can add additional flour (1 T. at a time) until the consistency of the dough is more smooth and workable.
  • Step 5 Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface where you can shape the dough into a smooth ball. Dust the ball of dough lightly with flour and put it into a large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready for the next step when it has roughly doubled.
  • Step 6 Chop the chives. You want a fine dice. Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a clean and lightly-floured surface, and, using your hand, press the dough down lightly to punch out some of the gas from the first rise. Stretch the dough into a square and then roll it out into a 12-inch square. You may need to put more flour on your surface to keep the dough from sticking. Sprinkle the chopped chives evenly across the surface of the rolled-out dough. Now, beginning from one of the short sides of the dough, fold the dough several times to enclose the chives. You should have a long, narrow rectangle of dough. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the dough and seal the seams.
  • Step 7 Dust your surface with flour again. Roll the long, thin rectangle of dough out again . You want a 16 inch by 6 inch rectangle this time.
  • Step 8 Use a pizza wheel cutter to cut the dough into 24 pieces. Each piece should measure approximately 2 inches square.
  • Step 9 Form the dough squares into balls. Do this by pinching the edges of each dough square together. You will have what looks like a teardrop shaped piece of dough. Place this piece of dough on your flat surface and, using a circular motion, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place each piece of dough into the prepared pan. You will have a 4 roll by 6 roll arrangement of the rolls when you have finished rolling them. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise again to double in size. This will take 45 to 60 minutes depending upon the temperature in your kitchen.
  • Step 10 As the rolls are rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the center position.
  • Step 11 Prepare your egg wash. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl until there are no streaks in the egg. Gently brush the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle the rolls with flaky salt (I used Maldon) and black pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Your rolls will be a deep golden brown when they are done.
  • Step 12 Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with the remaining 2 T. butter. Let the rolls cool on your counter for at least 15 minutes. To remove the rolls from the pan, slide a knife around the edge of the pan and then slide a metal spatula under the rolls to loosen the bottom. Slide the rolls out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool. Serve the rolls warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Dessert Person. The book is available from your local bookstore or from Amazon. 

Breads, Breakfast Dishes, Vegetarian
The Eyes Have It: Peach and Raspberry Salad With Peach Vinaigrette
August 13, 2021

The Eyes Have It: Peach and Raspberry Salad With Peach Vinaigrette

Summer salads are a “thing” at my house. Cool and light after a hot day, a salad is the perfect way to wind down the day and ease into a cool evening with a good book and a sweet pup.     Here is a…

Berries, Peaches, salad, Salad Dressings, Salads, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Bulgogi Eggplant
August 8, 2021

Bulgogi Eggplant

Bulgogi?  It’s a Korean specialty. Koreans have been making the classic dish for hundreds of years—sometimes grilled and sometimes in a broth.  In recent times, the dish has become rockstar-popular on Korean and international menus. Bulgogi roughly translates to “fire meat.” Although the dish is…

Asian, Eggplant, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Apricot Upside-Down Cake
July 27, 2021

Apricot Upside-Down Cake

I’m pretty sure that Marie Antoinette had THIS Apricot Upside-Down Cake in mind when she said “Let them eat cake.”

It’s to die for.  

Here’s the recipe:

Apricot Upside-Down Cake

July 27, 2021
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Ingredients
  • For The Topping:
  • 4 T. unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1/2 C. light or dark brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. fine sea salt
  • 8 medium apricots or about 1 pound (rinsed, dried and sliced in half)
  • For The Cake:
  • 1 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 C. almond flour
  • 1 t. baking powder
  • 1/4 t. fine sea salt
  • 6 T. unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 2/3 C. granulated sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 C. whole milk
Directions
  • Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing it liberally and flouring it.
  • Step 2 Prepare the topping by combining melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 t. salt in a bowl. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of your prepared pan. Slice apricots in half and arrange halves on top of the topping. The halved apricots should be arranged cut side down in the pan. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
  • Step 3 To prepare the cake batter, sift the flour and almond flour together in a bowl, breaking up any clumps that don’t fit through the sieve. Whisk baking powder and salt into this mixture. Set aside.
  • Step 4 Using the large bowl of your stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together until it is creamy. This will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract to this mixture. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until your batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of your bowl.
  • Step 5 Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to your batter. Then, add 1/2 of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue mixing the flour and milk using these proportions. Scrape down the sides of your bowl occasionally as you do this. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined but be careful not to over-mix.
  • Step 6 Spread the batter evenly on top of the apricots in your pan. Bake until the cake is firm and golden brown on top. A toothpick inserted in the top of the cake should come out clean. The time you need to bake your cake depends upon your oven. My cake took 45 minutes but the original recipe called for 35 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to be sure your cake will release cleanly from the pan when you invert it onto a serving plate. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Some of the topping will run down the side of the cake.

 

This recipe is adapted from a Vallery Lomas recipe in The New York Times. You can find the original recipe here.

Cakes, Desserts, Vegetarian
Oldies But Goodies: Russian Salad
July 24, 2021

Oldies But Goodies: Russian Salad

Every month Blue Cayenne features one post from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. Here is a Russian Salad recipe. You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again. Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive?  Just click one of the categories at the…

Potatoes, salad, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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