Sour Cream & Pecan Coffee Cake - super cakey & moist!

Here is my new version of the recipe Sour Cream & Pecan Coffee Cake I found at Lana's Cooking. The only change I made was to double the pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar for layering. To me, it just needed more of that yummy cinnamon-sugar-pecan mixture!! So do as many layers of it as you want, next time I plan to do at least 3 plus the top!;) If you don't care for nuts or are allergic, just leave those out, it is still a fabulous coffee cake! If you make this, please leave me a comment with what you thought! Enjoy!

Sour Cream & Pecan Coffee Cake 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 8 tblsp. brown sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each.
5. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the sour cream and vanilla.
6. Sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder.
7. Start with your mixer on very slow speed and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Increase the mixer speed as you add more of the dry ingredients and the batter becomes thicker.
8. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
9. Put 1/4 of the batter in the prepared pan.
10. Sprinkle 1/4 of the pecan-cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter.
11. Add another 1/4 of the batter and sprinkle with the another 1/4 of the topping. Repeat until all the cinnamon-sugar-pecan mixture is used up.
12. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted halfway between the center and edge of pan comes out clean.
13. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
14. Remove from pan, slice and serve.
15. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Little Dish #5 - Olive & Rosemary Country Round

Here is the awesome recipe for the Olive & Rosemary bread that I made yesterday! The recipe came in my Cuisinart booklet and I'll tell you how I tweaked it a little. It is a rustic bread, crusty on the outside but so soft on the inside. Not to mention it looks beautiful and looks like you slaved over it. The only work took about 15-20 minutes. Most of the time it takes is the rising and the baking part. So just do it on a day when you are lounging around or cooking all day in prep for a party/get together anyway. :) Hope you enjoy it. Comment on my post if you get a chance to make it!

Rustic Olive & Rosemary Country Round

Ingredients:
10 oz unbleached bread flour
5 oz whole wheat flour (I didn't have this so I used another 5 oz. of bread flour and it tasted perfect to me!)
1 oz rye flour (I omitted this too)
2 tsp fine sea salt (I used fleur de sel -"Fleur de sel, literally "flower of salt," has been gathered on the island of Ré, off France's Atlantic coast, since the seventh century. Beloved by cooks, these fine, light crystals have a delicate flavor and high concentration of minerals, making them the perfect finishing salt.")
1 tsp instant yeast (I use Quick Rise Yeast by Red Star)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for this I took 1 sprig of rosemary and blended it with about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, then strained it. I let it sit for about 2 days to really infuse that rosemary flavor - you don't have to do this, but I used it for other things like my pancetta & potatoes)
1-1/4 cups water (10 oz)
1/2 cup pitted and coarsely chopped imported black olives (these can be found in the deli section of the grocery store or by the olives)
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
Cornmeal for the peel or baking sheet
Flour for dusting

Directions: 
Insert the dough blade into your Cuisinart. (If you don't have one you'll need to mix everything in a bowl and then knead by hand until dough is smooth.) Combine the flour, salt, yeast and olive oil in the work bowl. Test the temperature of the flour mixture using an instant read thermometer. Adjust the water temperature so that the individual temperature of the flour and water when combined equal 145 deg. This is the base temperature. With the machine running on dough speed, add the water through the small feed tube and process for 45 seconds. Transfer the dough to a large ungreased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature.
Move the uppermost rack in the oven so that it is about 8 inches from the top. Place a small cast iron skillet on the floor of the oven or lower rack of the oven. Preheat to 475 degrees when ready to bake.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten into a 12-inch square using the palms of your hands (this is where I used a rolling pin so I could get out any air bubbles!). Sprinkle with the chopped olives and chopped rosemary. Fold the dough over onto itself and knead for 3-4 minutes to thoroughly incorporate the olives and rosemary.
Form into a round loaf. Oil a bowl lightly with olive oil and place the dough into it. Dust lightly with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise at least 1 hour at room temperature. It will be visibly risen and spring back when gently pressed with a finger.
Just before baking, invert onto a baking stone or the back of a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle the top with additional flour. Using a serrated knife, score the dough in a star pattern - starting from the center, make a short 3-inch slash. Rotate the bread and continue slashing until a star pattern is formed on the top of the dough.
Put the loaf into the oven and pour 1 cup of warm water into the cast iron skillet in the oven. (This causes steam in the oven and will help with "oven spring" and a nice crust on the bread!) Reduce heat to 450 degrees. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 425 and bake an additional 15 minutes. The crust will be well browned and the loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The internal temperature will be 205-210 degrees when tested with an instant read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
I cut into mine after only about 5 minutes of resting so I could enjoy warm fresh bread - there is nothing finer I don't think. ;) Enjoy by itself or dip into an herb olive oil dipping sauce of your choice!

Little Dish #4 - Pancetta & Potatoes

Pancetta & Potatoes

This recipe originated from Brunch with Bobby, I only tweaked it a little :)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• One 1-inch-thick piece pancetta, diced
• 3-4 small-medium red potatoes,diced into 1/2" squares/pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

For the oil: Combine the oil, rosemary, garlic and some salt and pepper in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Let the oil sit for 30 minutes, and then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup, plus more as needed, for the home fries, and reserve the rest in an airtight container for another use.

For the home fries: Heat 1/2 of the rosemary oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate.

Add more rosemary oil to the skillet, if needed. Add the potatoes in one layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the potatoes, pressing the firmly with a spatula, until they are golden brown and crusty on the bottom. Turn the potatoes over, and repeat, adding more rosemary oil if needed. Stir in the parsley, reserved pancetta and cheese.

Enjoy with other breakfast/brunch dishes or as a side dish!

Little Dish #3 - Pasta with Fresh Pesto & Peas

This dish is truly easy and a great way to use some of that homemade fresh pesto that you make and have a surplus of. ;) Pasta with Fresh Pesto and Peas! Here are the ingredients & simple instructions...

Ingredients: 
1/2 lb of your favorite pasta (I used campanelle pasta)
1/2 cup peas (use more if you like a lot of peas!)
2 Tablespoons fresh pesto
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts- pinolis (just put in a pan on med heat and slowly toss until they are golden brown)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook your pasta in boiling salted water (per package instructions). 3-5 minutes before it's done add your peas. Drain water (reserving a little) and add your pesto to the pasta & peas. Mix well and top with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese. Use pasta water if you want more of a creamier sauce. Quick & delicious!

Campanelle Pasta with Fresh Pesto & Peas

Sourdough Starter

Finally along my culinary adventure I have decided to make some sourdough starter! I mixed together a little yeast, water and flour. It’s been sitting on my counter and I’ve been “feeding” it for about a week now. It’s starting to smell a little sour and yeasty. I can’t wait to make sourdough bread and sourdough pancakes…but what else should I make?? Got any good sourdough recipes? Leave me a comment if you do!

Sourdough Starter

Little Dish #2 – The Monte Cristo

Have you heard of this sandwich?? The Monte Cristo…it’s a fried ham and cheese sandwich, a variation of the French croque-monsieur. IF you have never tried one – you must. For those of you that have tried it, you are nodding your head in agreement! It’s definitely a comfort food. It’s cheesy, crispy, savory and sweet. I made them in culinary school and the other day saw them being made on the show Eat Street on the Food Channel. I was like ooooh I need to make those for Galen! So, here is my take on this famous sandwich! If you make it, leave me a comment what you thought of it!
I love how you get the crunch from the crispy crust, the chewy ham and gooey cheese! Such awesome mouth feel. The sweetness of the jelly really balances it too. I promise you’ll love it!

Monte Cristo
Recipe makes 2 sandwiches
4 pieces of good white bread with the crusts cut off (I used homemade bread)
2 slices of ham (about 1/8″ thick)
2 slices of Gruyere cheese or shredded
3 eggs
1/2 cup cream (or milk)
s & pp tt
3 Tablespoons butter
Raspberry jelly- heated in saucepan or microwave
Plastic wrap
Directions:
Beat the eggs with the cream and season with salt and pepper, set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave, then brush each piece of bread, both sides with a little butter. On top of 1 piece of bread, put 1 slice of ham then the cheese then top with another slice of bread. Press down on the sandwich to help seal it together. Squish the edges together to help seal the edges so your cheese won’t melt out! Do the same for the other pieces of bread. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. This will help the sandwich to stay together and hold its shape.
Put the leftover melted butter into a nonstick pan and heat on medium heat. Remove the sandwiches from the plastic wrap and dip into the egg batter on both sides. Place in the pan and let it get nice and golden brown on each side.
Do the same for the other sandwich. Remove and top with a little raspberry jelly or syrup if you like!

Little Dish #1 – Sausage, Kale & Peppers Pasta

Little Dish #1 – Sausage, Kale & Peppers Pasta

I opened the fridge and found Italian sausage, kale and red bell peppers. I was thinking definitely a pasta dish would be yummy! So, I threw together a quick saute of the sausage, with garlic, shallots, kale and bell peppers. I added a little beef broth for a little depth of flavor. I folded in some al dente cooked orecchiette pasta and finished it with a little fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Here is my recipe! Enjoy!


Little Dish #1 – Sausage, Kale & Peppers Pasta
 3 links of Italian sausage
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped into about 1/2″ pieces (large dice)
2 red bell peppers, chopped into about 1/2″ pieces (large dice)
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 pound of orecchiette pasta
pinch of red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (this will sometimes be referred to as s & p tt)
Directions:
In a saute pan add about 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Squeeze out the sausage from the casings, break up and brown. To this add the minced garlic and minced shallot. Turn heat to med low. Cook the shallot and garlic for just a minute or two then add the kale and peppers. Add 1 tablespoon more of olive oil. Season with just a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a pinch of the red pepper flakes just for flavor, add more if you like it spicy! Saute for about 5 minutes just enough to soften the veggies, but not overcook them. You want to keep the bright red of the pepper and the bright green in the kale! Add the beef broth and simmer for a couple minutes then remove from heat.
Cook the orecchiette pasta according to package in salted boiling water. Scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon and add to the sausage and peppers. Toss in the fresh parsley and the parmesan. Add a little of the pasta water if you like it more saucy, otherwise leave it out.
This is a really easy dish to do substitutions! If you don’t have kale on hand, use baby spinach. If you don’t have the peppers, use tomatoes. It’s a very hearty pasta dish, very delicious for a quick meal!
Enjoy my little dish!