Dayrecipe Food Community

Wolf Blitzer’s family serves this moist, not-too-sweet Bundt cake as a side dish. A warm slice would also be delicious for breakfast. Use the large holes of a box grater to prepare the carrots.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 3/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2teaspoon ground allspice
• 1cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted margarine, room temperature
• 4large eggs
• 2cups (packed) coarsely grated peeled carrots
• 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2teaspoons grated lemon peel

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and margarine in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs. Add sifted dry ingredients; beat until blended. Stir in carrots. Beat in lemon juice and lemon peel. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake carrot ring until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool carrot ring in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn ring out onto platter and serve warm. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes before serving.)

A spoonful of this classic compound butter, known as maître d’hôtel butter, makes an instant sauce for anything from grilled steak to sautéed chicken to steamed vegetables. It can also be stirred into soups and stews.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Makes about 1/2 cup.

INGREDIENTS

• 1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2tablespoons minced shallot
• 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2teaspoon minced garlic
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS Purée all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Tortillas de Maiz

Packaged tortillas are available everywhere, but homemade ones have better flavor and a more tender texture.

Makes 12.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups freshly ground corn masa dough for tortillas (about 17 ounces), or make masa dough with 1 3/4 cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix; about 8 1/2 ounces) mixed with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
• warm water

DIRECTIONS Place fresh masa or masa harina mixture in large bowl. Add warm water to dough by tablespoonfuls as needed, kneading until dough is soft, smooth, and pliable but not sticky. Shape 3 tablespoons dough into ball for each tortilla and arrange on sheet of foil; cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Place 1 large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat; place second large griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Cut two 8-inch rounds from 1 heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Place 1 plastic round on bottom half of tortilla press; place 1 dough ball in center. Top with second plastic round. Close press, flattening dough to 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). If tortilla thickness is uneven, lift dough round in plastic and rotate 180 degrees. Press tortilla lightly to even out.

Peel off top sheet of plastic. Use bottom plastic round to transfer tortilla to 1 hand with part of tortilla dangling off; peel off plastic round. Hold hand with tortilla over cooler griddle. Let dangling portion of tortilla catch at front half of griddle and slowly sweep hand backward, easing tortilla onto griddle without wrinkling. Cook tortilla until it looks slightly dry at edges and starts to release from griddle surface, about 45 seconds. Lift tortilla with fingers and place, uncooked side down, on hotter griddle. Cook until brown spots appear on bottom, about 1 minute. On same griddle, turn tortilla over again. Cook until bottom browns and parts of tortilla puff up, about 1 minute longer. Transfer tortilla to cloth-lined basket and cover with cloth or wrap tortilla in large sheet of foil and keep warm in 250°F oven. Repeat with remaining dough balls, adding tortillas to basket or foil packet. (Tortillas can be made 2 hours ahead. Wrap in aluminum foil. Rewarm in 300°F oven 15 minutes.)

Bright and fresh, this sauce is also fantastic over broiled salmon or scrambled eggs.

Makes about 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

• 2large fresh anaheim chilies*1/2pound tomatillos,** husked, rinsed, diced
• 1 1/2cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2large green onions, chopped
• 1large serrano chili, stemmed, seeded
• 1large garlic clove
• 1/4cup (firmly packed) fresh cilantro leaves
• 1tablespoon whipping cream
• 1tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)

DIRECTIONS Char Anaheim chilies directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop chilies.

Combine tomatillos, broth, green onions, serrano chili, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender. Add Anaheim chilies, cilantro, and cream. Puree until smooth. Season salsa with salt and pepper. Add lime juice, if desired. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl; cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.)

*Also known as California chilies; available at Latin American markets and many supermarkets.
**Green tomato-like vegetables withpaper-thin husks; available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

 It might be May on the calendar but today is dark, chilly and there is a strong gusting wind. It feels and looks a lot more like late Fall that it does Spring. It’s the kind of day that calls for something hot and hearty. This is one of our favorite soups and it’s very adaptable, feel free to add some shredded cabbage, diced turnip, green beans or tomatoes. In fact it will happily accept chicken or beef broth/stock  if the veggie stock isn’t preferred.

SERVES:  6

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 c vegetable stock
• 2 c water
• 1 large carrot, sliced or diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped potato, Red or Yukon Gold
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c small barley
• 1 c brown lentils or green lentils
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 c fresh parsley,chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil.
2. Saute onion, celery, carrot until onions are softened.
3. Add garlic and cook for 2 mins.
4. Add stock, water, lentils & barley and potatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer
5. Reduce heat, cover & let simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
6. Sprinkle top with finely sliced parsley if desired.