Tangelo, Date, and Almond Biscotti

These tangelo, date, and almond biscotti are and excellent accompaniment to your morning coffee or afternoon tea. They contain butter, so they are not as rock hard as southern Italian biscotti. Don't worry, they are still nice and crunchy, and will stay fresh for days. They are excellent eaten with our without dunking them in a cup of coffee.

I love the sweetness of the dates combined with the citrus flavor. This is the second time I've made biscotti, and am amazed at how easy they are to make. Homemade biscotti is pretty special.

Impress your friends. All you need is two bowls, a whisk, a spoon and a good serrated knife. No mixer needed.

I made these tangelo, date, and almond biscotti for a virtual baby shower for one of my virtual friends, Tara, of Tara's Multicultural Table!

Her baby was (operative word "was") due in mid March, so Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook thought it would be a fun excuse to make some biscotti and, of course, surprise Tara.

Guess what? Tara's baby came early! You can follow her on Instagram (@taramctable) to see pictures of her amazing food as well as an occasional photo of her cute kids and puppies, Congratulations Tara! 

After the recipe, be sure to check out all of the other wonderful biscotti posts from Tara's friends. 

Tangelo, Date, and Almond Biscotti

Makes 24 biscotti (or you can slice them more thinly to yield more)

Ingredients

270 g (2 cups minus 2 T) all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

100 g (2/3 C) whole almonds

1/4 C (75 g) unsalted butter

1 T finely grated tangelo or orange zest (about one large tangelo/orange)

2 large room temperature eggs

150 g (3/4 C) granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

85 g dried pitted dates, diced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the almonds and stir. 
4. In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter and zest, until the butter is just melted, about 40 seconds, in 20 second bursts. Stir and let cool, but not harden. 
5. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk the eggs. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to whisk, until smooth. Slowly whisk in the butter mixture along with the vanilla and almond extract. 
6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the flour is absorbed into the liquid. Add the dates and mix them into the dough with your hands. 
7. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 12 inch log. Place each log on the baking sheet, and slightly flatten them into 3 inch wide by 12 inch long mounds. 
8. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and slightly cracked on top. 
9. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a rack for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. 
10. Slice each log on an angle with a serrated knife into 12 pieces. Place them on their sides back onto the parchment. Bake on one side for 7 minutes. Flip them over, and bake on the other side for 7 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. 

More biscotti recipes from Tara's blogger friends:

Biscotti Bites from Nicole at I am a Honey Bee

Cinnamon Biscotti from Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti from Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures

Green Tea Biscotti Cookies from Rebekah at Making Miracles

Jam-Filled Mandelbrot from Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Maple Walnut Biscotti from Sally at Bewitching Kitchen

Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscotti from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Oven Fried KFC "Copycat" Chicken

Super easy oven Fried healthified KFC "Copycat" Chicken!

It's Secret Recipe Club time again. "Secret Recipe Club?" you ask. It's a group of food bloggers who are secretly assigned another member's blog each month. We get to spend a month secretly "stalking" our assigned blog in order to choose something to make for Reveal Day. I enjoy the chance to "meet" other bloggers as well as try out a new recipe.

This month, my assigned blog is Burnt Apple. Traci is a wife and mom of three trying to cook healthy dinners at home. She confesses that she used to be a terrible cook. I find that hard to believe. There are so many delicious recipes on her site.

After spending plenty of time making a long list of recipes to try, I chose to make her KFC Fried Chicken recipe. Some recipes I plan to try later: Turkey club wrap, Chili's queso dip, and her taco soup. Check them out.

This healthified boneless skinless chicken is coated in seasoned flour and then baked in a few tablespoons of butter in the oven. The resulting chicken is super tasty, and would be a huge hit with the kids (I can't wait to make them for my grandsons). This chicken would also be excellent in a sandwich. Does it taste like KFC? Kind of (haven't been to a KFC in years. I'm kind of partial to the gloriousness that is super crispy chicken skin... sheepish grin). Regardless, it's really good on its own.

Oven Fried KFC "Copycat" Chicken

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or about 1 pound of chicken breast tenders

1/2 C milk

1 Cup flour

2 tsp paprika 

1 T Morton's Season All (I think Laury's Seasoned Salt would work well too)

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cut the butter into pieces and place them on a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan (I used a quarter sheet pan). 
3. Place the pan in to oven for a couple of minutes to melt the butter, and remove it. 
4. Dip the chicken into the milk, and then completely coat with the flour/spice mixture. 
5. Place the pieces onto the buttered baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes on one side.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the chicken pieces over, and place the pan back in the oven. 
7. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the pieces from the butter immediately and place on a plate. 

Recipe adapted from Burnt Apple, adapted from Our Life Uncommon. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Pain Au Levain with a Firm Starter

This particular Pain au Levaine is a rustic bread that includes a mixture of bread, whole wheat, and pumpernickel flours. The dough is fairly wet, and produces an interior with smaller holes, yet not too dense.

While the bread is naturally leavened, it is not very sour, and is excellent for toast, sandwiches, and simply dunked in olive oil, soup, or sauce.

Don't be intimidated by making your own sourdough bread. Once you get your starter going, you will be hooked. It's a wonderful thing.

This recipe calls for "stretches and folds." This involves grabbing the dough from each of the four "sides" with wet hands and stretching it out and folding it over itself in order to develop the gluten. You will feel the gluten develop as you do this. I promise. It's pretty cool actually.

This bread calls for a firm starter. You can find the recipe as well as an alternative substitution using yeast >here<.

Pain au Levain with a Firm Starter

Ingredients

109 g firm starter

551 g (19.4 ounces) water at 80 degrees F

408 g all purpose flour

204 g whole wheat flour

68 g pumpernickel flour

16 g salt (I used fine sea salt)

Instructions

1. Place the starter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and stir with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds. 
2. Add the flour and mix for about 2 minutes on low. 
3. Let the dough sit in the bowl for 20 minutes, uncovered. 
4. Switch to the dough hook, add the salt, and mix on low for about six minutes. 
5. Scrape the dough with a bowl scraper out into an oiled bowl or dough rising bucket (I use a large Cambro bucket). Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 minutes. 
6. Do three "stretch and folds" at 30 minute intervals. 
7. Cover the container with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot for 2 to 3 hours. There should be bubbles on top of the dough. 
8. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Loosely form the dough into ball, and let sit for 10 minutes.
9. Prepare a basket, banneton, or towel lined 9 inch bowl with a mixture of wheat flour and bran to prevent sticking. Form the dough into a ball and place it, seam side up, into the basket/bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
10. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. I baked my loaf on a preheated stone covered by an upside down stainless steel bowl, but you can use a parchment lined baking sheet. 
11. When the dough is ready, place a parchment sheet on a peel, and turn the dough out onto the peel. Slash the top of the dough in a pattern that you like, and place the dough, parchment and all, on top of the stone, cover with the bowl, and close the oven door. Reduce the oven to 400 degrees F. 
12. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the bowl, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden and has reached an internal temperature of about 205 degrees F. 
13. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

This recipe has been adapted from the wonderful Della Fattoria Bread: 63 Foolproof Recipes for Yeasted, Enriched & Naturally Leavened Breads.

According to the authors, this Pain au Levaine bread was inspired by the Poilane bread from Paris.

Here is another Poilane style miche using actual Poilane flour, which is sifted to partially remove part of the bran. 

Amaretto Tricolor Cookies

These Amaretto tricolor cookies are also known as Neapolitan cookies, as well as Italian rainbow cookies. The layers are held together with Amaretto spiked apricot jam. 

Typically, they are made in the colors of the flag of Italy; red, white, and green; and they are an Italian American tradition.

Pamplemousse Ginger Martini

This pamplemousse martini so refreshing! 

"What the heck is pamplemousse?" you ask. It's French for grapefruit! 

There is actually a Crème de Pamplemousse liqueur, and as you can tell by the bottle on the right, I've taste tested it... a few times. It's quite wonderful. It's not as strong or syrupy as limoncello, and has an aromatic and citrusy flavor. It definitely tastes like grapefruit. 

This martini combines the flavors of herbal gin, ginger, grapefruit, and lime. Seriously tasty. 

Pamplemousse Ginger Martini

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce ginger liqueur

1 ounce pamplemousse rose liqueur

1/2 ounce lime juice

lime wedge

Instructions

1. Add the gin, ginger, pamplemousse, and lime juice to an ice filled cocktail shaker.
2. Shake for about 30 to 60 seconds, and strain into a chilled martini glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Enjoy!

Malaysian Style Stir-Fried Turmeric Shrimp | Wok Wednesdays

Have you ever experienced preparing a dish, tasting it, and then experiencing that "I can't believe I actually made this myself!" moment?  This Malaysian Style Stir-Fried Turmeric Shrimp had this impact on me. I had to pinch myself. It is so delicious.

We are in the midst of the two week period leading up to the Chinese New Year, and shrimp is, according to stir-fry guru Grace Young, considered a dish symbolizing happiness, and traditional for the holiday.

This shrimp recipe was developed by Mei Chau, who is owner/chef of the New York City restaurant Aux Epices.  She is of Hakka descent and grew up in Malaysia, the youngest of eleven children. This shrimp combines the traditions of Chinese stir-fry and the spiciness of Malaysian food.

The recipe is simply shrimp marinated in red chiles, dill or fresh curry leaves (I used fresh dill), turmeric, ground pepper, and then sprinkled with sugar prior to stir-frying.

The only other ingredients, besides peanut oil, are garlic, shallots, and salt. That's it. It's pretty magical.

The shrimp are cooked in their shells, which add so much flavor. The shells are cut across the back and the shrimp are deveined before being washed and dried.

This recipe is stunning, and can be found in Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories by Grace Young.

Check out my friend Cathy's mis en place for this dish >here<.
The recipe can be found >here<

Classic New York Water Bagels

Classic New York Water Bagels topped with "Everything" Topping. 

Bagels. Can we tawk? First, let me just say that these Classic New York Water Bagels are simply wonderful. In fact, the two recipients (outside of my family) of these bagels told me that they were the best bagels they have ever had. I am not making this up.

Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef

This Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef recipe is super flavorful. The sauce combines the flavors of soy, ginger, ketchup, hoisin sauce, and chili bean sauce. The vegetables include onions, green bell peppers, and a garnish of scallions, all ingredients that are readily available. The sauce is amazing.

The dish is simply wonderful over sticky rice. Can you see the steam rising?

I used some flank steak I had in the freezer to make this Sichuan Beef recipe and discovered how easy it is to slice semi-frozen meat into bite sized pieces. Doh! Why did I not know this?

I've been on a stir-fry obsession, second only to my bread obsession, and recently purchased The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young. I have been cooking from her book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge every other week for two years now, and decided to dip into one of her earlier books. Why should I have to wait for Wok Wednesdays to stir fry, right?

I will definitely making this again and again. Trust me, it's good.

Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef

Serves three as the main course, four to five as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

8 ounces flank steak 

2 T Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 1/2 tsp plus 1 T soy sauce

5 slices ginger, smashed
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 T ketchup
2 T hoisin sauce
2 tsp chili bean sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 T water
1 T peanut or vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 C chicken broth
2 scallions, cut into 1 inch slices

Instructions

1. Cut the flank steak with the grain into two inch wide strips, and then cut each strip into 1/4 inch wide pieces against the grain. 
2. Marinade the beef with the rice wine, 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce, and 2 slices of the ginger for 30 minutes. 
3. Drain the beef and toss it with 1 tsp of the cornstarch. 
4. Mix the ketchup, hoisin, chili bean sauce, sesame oil, and 1 T of soy sauce in a small bowl.
5. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch and 1 T water in another small bowl and set aside.
6. Heat your wok over high heat.
7. Add 1 T of peanut or vegetable oil to the wok. Add three slices of the ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
8. Add the marinated beef and spread it into a single layer over the surface of the wok. 
9. Let it cook for one minute. 
10. Stir fry the beef for 30 seconds. 
11. Transfer the beef to a colander and let it drain over a plate.
12. Add the bell peppers and onions to the wok and stir fry for one minute. 
13. Add the broth and bring it to a boil over high heat. 
14. Add the ketchup mixture and bring it to a boil. 
15. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and boil until the sauce has thickened. 
16. Add the beef back into the wok and stir for 30 seconds. 
17. Garnish with the scallions. 

Enjoy!

Olive Campagne Boule

This Olive Campagne Boule is one of my favorite breads for serving as an appetizer. The crust is super crunchy, and the interior is so incredibly moist. I love setting out small slices of the bread along with  a carafe of roasted garlic infused olive oil for dipping.