Lemon-y Goodness

20 July 2010
Posted by GS
from milkandhoneycafe.blogspot.com, serves 8-10


Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbs. cake flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
9 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1. Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
2. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Line with parchment and grease loaf pan.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. (Please do the full 4-5 minutes because this makes the cake really light and fluffy.) Increase the speed to medium-high and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and 2 Tbs. of the lemon juice. (Here, I added 5 instead!)
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, beating each addition until just incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon zest.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

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Lasagne

05 July 2010
Posted by GS
from Jamie's Food Revolution, serves 4-6


For the Bolognese Sauce

2 slices of smoked bacon
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
olive oil
2 heaped teaspoons of dried oregano
1 pound of good-quality ground beef, pork, or a mixture of the two
2 x 14-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small bunch of fresh basil
2 oz. Parmesan cheese

For the lasagne

8 oz. dried egg lasagne sheets
2 cups of creme fraiche or 2 cups thick sour cream
4 oz. Parmesan cheese
1 large ripe tomato, sliced

To make your Bolognese sauce

Finely slice the bacon. Peel and finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Place a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat. Add 2 lugs of olive oil, your sliced bacon, and the oregano and cook and stir until the bacon is lightly golden. Ad the vegetables to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the ground meat and the canned tomatoes. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add to the pan. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pick the basil leaves and place in the refrigerator for later. Finely chop the basil stalks and stir into the pan. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for 45 minutes, stirring every now and again to stop it catching.

To finish the sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the Bolognese sauce from the heat. Finely grate the 2 ounces of Parmesan into the sauce. Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping the smaller ones aside for later. Have a taste of the sauce, and season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

To make your lasagne

Grate your 4 ounces of Parmesan. Boil some water in a pan, then add all your lasagne sheets with a drizzle of oil and blanch (slightly soften) for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the sheets in a colander and carefully pat them dry with some paper towels to absorb any excess water. Spoon a third of your Bolognese sauce into the bottom of an earthenware ovenproof dish. Follow with a layer of lasagne sheets. Dollop over a third of your creme fraiche and smooth it out to cover the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper and a third of your grated Parmesan. Add another layer of lasagne, and repeat the layers twice more, finishing with a layer of creme fraiche and the remaining Parmesan. Top with some slices of tomato, scatter over the small basil layers, and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil, place in the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes. After that, remove the aluminum foil and cook for a further 35 minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and golden.
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