Shrimp Burgers

Now that I'm finally home, I'm trying to enjoy summer by getting back to cooking again and doing more baking.  This was said with my fingers crossed :)  It hasn't been easy enjoying summer in Oregon when the sun isn't making its presence lately.  July has been a cold one, I think, compared to springtime.  But the weather has taken a turn this week, in fact, the rest of the nation on the east coast is experiencing a sweltering heatwave.  Not us, fortunately!

This shrimp burger is something that I enjoy making in the summer.  The grill is clean and ready, so why not utilize it to make something as tasty as this?  The good thing about this dish is that it isn't pretentious.  Armed with cheap white and soft buns, sliced tomatoes, maybe butter lettuce if you want it more elevated, and punchy tartar or cocktail sauce; it will satisfy hungry mouths at dinnertime.  My husband and I enjoy drinking shandy with our burgers, what about you?

Shrimp Burgers

Serves 6

1 pound medium (40-count) shrimp
3 tablespoons finely diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup bread crumbs--I used panko
3 tablespoons good-quality mayo
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
6 cheap white hamburger buns
Lettuce for serving
Sliced tomatoes for serving
Tartar Sauce--recipe follows
Cocktail Sauce--recipe follows



In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a full boil.  Add the shrimp, cover, and remove the pan from the heat.  Let the shrimp steep for 4 minutes, then drain.  Put the shrimp in a large bowl and cover them with ice to cool.  When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, peel and devein them, then roughly chop them.

In another bowl, mix the shrimp, celery, green onion, parsley, and lemon zest.  Stir in the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, and egg. Take a wooden spoon and beat the mixture until all the ingredients are well blended.  Season with salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to taste, and stir once more to incorporate throughout the mixture.

From the mixture, make six 3-inch patties.  If you wet your hands with water, this process will be a little easier.  Heat the oil in a nonstick saute pan until hot and shimmering.  Cook the patties, three at a time, for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden.  Drain them on paper towels.

Serve each patty on a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, and tartar or cocktail sauce, if desired.

Tartar Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles or sweet pickles
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dill or sweet pickle juice

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cocktail Sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained, or more if desired
1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish, and Worchestershire sauce and stir until well combined.  Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.  This will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.  Let it come to room temperature before using.


Source:  The Big Book of Fish and Shellfish by Fred Thompson

Oat Crisps with Fresh Fruits and Honey Yogurt

When I made these crips I was expecting it to be good on their own.  Well, yeah, I wasn't wrong.  I ended up eating them as snacks because they were so addictive.  Crispy, crunchy, and caramel-y, I just love these!

If you want to eat these for breakfast, the simple way to do is to grab yogurt--honey flavored is my favorite--and fresh fruits for a feel good sustenance in the morning.  This recipe is simple and irresistible which what I like from the book by Emily Luchetti, Classic Star Desserts.  I've been going through my baking book collection and trying out recipes this summer when I had a more leisurely time for baking and cooking.  So far I've found very good recipes and I'm very pleased.  I hope I can continue the baking well into the busy school and work year.  Fingers crossed!

Oat Crisps with Fresh Fruits and Honey Yogurt

Serves 6


1 1/4 ounces (2 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 pint blueberries
4 medium peaches, sliced rather thinly
1 cup yogurt--any flavor you like

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup and stir until blended.  Stir in the oats, mixing well.

To form the crisps, drop the oats mixture, one tablespoon per cookie, onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart.  Bake, rotating the baking sheets 180 degrees at the midway point, until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets.  Then, using a metal spatula, transfer the crisps to a large flat plate to cool.

To serve, divide blueberries, peach slices and yogurt among individual plate and place 2 oat crisps alongside or on top of each serving.


Source:  adapted from Classic Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti

Peach Custard Pie

For the last 2 weeks or so we've been eating lots of peaches at home.  We eat them mostly fresh and in smoothie, but of course I have to make them into a dessert.  I've also felt like making pie all summer long, so naturally I looked for pie recipes. 

I have a book called Pie by Ken Haedrich, which is one of my favorite baking books, where I've made several pies previously.  His recipe for basic pie crust uses vegetable shortening which I don't mind at all, but if all-butter crust is preferred, I've made one for my Marionberry pie.  Even though it's for a double crust, one half dough could simply be freeze for up to a month.  The book is pretty extensive in all kinds of pies and has chapters on what to bake with corresponding fruits for each season.

What I think about this pie is that it satisfies both my likes, custard and fresh fruit.  The peaches need to be peeled for this pie which I grumbly did but appreciated when I bit a slice.  The crumb topping gives it a wonderful crunch, without a doubt this is all I want from a summer pie!

Peach Custard Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 recipe Basic Flaky Pie Pastry, Single Crust or store-bought pie crust

Filling:

1 cup full-fat sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and thickly sliced

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

If you haven't already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin.  Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center and peel off the paper.  Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolks, flour, and vanilla until smooth.  Set aside.  Arrange the peach slices in the chilled pie shell in tight, concentric circles.  You don't have to make it look perfect, just relatively neat.  Slowly and evenly pour the sour cream mixture over the peaches.  Gently shake the pan to help the mixture settle between the peaches.  Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the streusel topping.  Combine the flour, sugar, and butter in a large bowl, tossing to blend. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 400F.  Dump the streusel in the center of the pie, spreading it evenly over the top with your hands.  Tamp it down very gently.  Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward.  Continue to bake until the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.  If the top gets too dark, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours.  This pie is supposed to be served cold, but also very good at room temperature or slightly warm.  Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil and refrigerate before serving.

Tips: 

• To judge whether the pie is done or not, stick a knife in the center of the pie.  If it comes out clean, the pie is done.
• Try serving it with vanilla ice cream and/or berry sauce.  I tried it with Marionberry sauce, it's very divine!

Source:  adapted from Pie by Ken Haedrich

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

This is actually a fun post to write.  I've made this cake before and just recently, one of my far away friends asked if I still had the recipe.  I didn't think of making one before she asked but the opportunity came to make a cake, and I thought why not this cake.  About a week and half ago my parents had their 50th wedding anniversary. I'm so proud of them for still be together for these many years because as you all know, being married to one person hasn't always an easy feat to do in life.  They never want to make a big celebration for the golden anniversary so we went to a neighborhood restaurant and had a great dinner.  This was the cake that I made for them.

Limes are supposedly very expensive to buy in the market nowadays because of the weather, diseases, and cartels involvement in Mexico, where most limes in the US are imported from.  I've put off making this cake because of the outrageous prices, but the week closer to my parents anniversary's date I found better price in one of the Asian grocery stores in Portland.  They're bit smaller than usual but I took my chance and bought enough quantity needed.  In the end, I had enough and more for the cake.  The cake did look smaller in the photo because I used 6-inch cake pans but I will keep the instruction as using 8-inch pans.

If you love citrus fruits, you'll love this cake.  It's refreshing, not overly puckery but each bite will leave a bright note in your mouth.  The filling is quite easy and you won't believe it first but when you mix lime juice with sweetened condensed milk, the texture became tight, custardy-like.  The only thing I regretted was the frosting.  It was store-bought whipped topping which when slather on the cake didn't come out as smooth as I liked.  Never again, next time I'll make my own whipped cream frosting though to prevent weeping a bit gelatin needs to be added to it.

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Yield 16 servings

Filling:

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (about 2-3 limes)--if you like it more sour, use more lime juice

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon cake flour

2 cups sifted cake flour (7 1/2 ounces)

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

3 egg yolks

8 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)

2 1/2 cups whipped topping, thawed



Fresh mint sprigs

Fresh blueberries

Lime wedges



Make lime filling:  Combine 1 teaspoon lime rind, 1/4-1/3 cup lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended.  cover and chill 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Make the cake:  Coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Lightly spoon 2 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.  Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Combine oil, 1/3 cup juice, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.  Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peak form.  Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture, gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.

Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly.  Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife.  Bake at 325F for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans.  Remove wax paper from cake layers.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare frosting:   Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small glass bowl.  Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.  Cool completely.  Fold into whipped topping.

Assemble the cake:  Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer.  Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.  Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges.  Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Slice cake into wedges.



Source:  Cooking Light

Rhubarb Orange Tart

Rhubarb has come into season.  Despite its bad rap as being stringy and fibrous, when cooked, rhubarb will become a perfect consistency for pie/tart filling.  I've cooked with rhubarb before and I adore it for its brightness in flavor.  Of course, it needs to be combined with lots of sugar to achieve the desired sweetness but it's forgiven because the end result is most often delicious.

Here, it's boosted with the presence of orange peels in a tart filling.  Rhubarb, sugar, and orange peels were cooked together in a saucepan to a thick-syrupy melange, its aroma permeates my kitchen like being in orange groves.  My son commented as to what I was cooking for he's eager to know what made the house smelled so good.

Since there're eggs in the filling, it tastes custardy, quite soft, but actually provides contrast to the flaky crust.  The rhubarb and orange go together happily by giving out tang and citrusy note.  Top the tart with Chantilly cream or vanilla ice cream and it will perhaps be a dessert to enjoy for Mother's Day.  I, myself, will go to a neighborhood restaurant with my family and parents to enjoy a night out.  Happy Mother's Day to you!

Rhubarb Orange Tart

Makes 8 servings



14 ounces rhubarb

Grated peel of 2 oranges

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 prebaked 9-inch tart crust

Vanilla ice cream or Chantilly cream



Preheat oven to 325F.

Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces, discarding the leafy end.  Cook the rhubarb, orange peel, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

Stir in the butter and the flour.  Stir in the beaten eggs.  Spread the rhubarb filling into the prebaked tart shell.  Bake the tart until set, about 25 minutes.

Let cool completely before slicing and serving.  Serve with ice cream or Chantilly cream.  Tart is best made and served the same day.

Tart Dough

Makes 1 9-inch tart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

5 ounces (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

1 large egg

Put the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and the egg.  Pulse the flour mixture until the butter is pea sized.  This will happen very quickly--be careful not to overprocess.  With the machine running, pour the cream mixture into the food processor.  Process just until the dough comes together.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Have ready a sheet of aluminum foil large enough that it comes up several inches above the shell.

Line the tart shell with aluminum foil, press lightly along the sides and let it stand up on the edges of the tart (don't bend the extra foil to the sides).  Fill with dried rice or dried beans.  Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil and rice, lower the oven temperature to 375F, and continue to bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.



Source:  adapted from A Passion for Desserts by Emily Luchetti