Sunday, August 30, 2009

Berry Trifle with Lemon Mascarpone Cream

Berry Trifle with Lemon Mascarpone Cream


Layer:
Pound Cake
Cream
Fruit

Add 1 cup fresh raspberries and bake according to the directions.

Cream:
24oz Mascarpone Cheese at room temperature
2 Lemons, zested and juiced
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbs heavy cream

Using a paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone cheese, sugar and zest together. Add the lemon juice and cream quickly, being careful to not overbeat the mixture.

Fruit:
Hull and slice 2 pints of fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh raspberries

Using a large bowl or trifle bowl, start with a layer of the pound cake.
The cream will be thick, so drop large dollops across the surface and use a rubber spatula to spread it across the cake.
Layer the fruit generously
Continue with the layers until you have run out of ingredients, or bowls.
(I recommend using more bowls if you run out of space in the first bowl before you run out of ingredients!)
Serve with the blueberry sauce from the pound cake recipe that you already made!
If you are serving adults only, and want to skip the blueberry sauce, drizzle the poundcake with something yummy like Starbucks Cream Liquor or Tripple Sec to keep the cake moist.




Saturday, August 15, 2009

Spinach Salad with Tzatziki Chicken

A spin off my chic pea salad, I made this one a bit more summery with dill and chives instead of the powerful rosemary in the original.

Baby Spinach
Chicken Tenders

Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 Hot House Cucumber, grated
1 C Greek yogurt
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1 T freshly chopped dill
1 T freshly chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Relish
1/2 Hot House Cucumber, chopped
1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 T freshly chopped dill
1 T freshly chopped chives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients for the relish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a freezer bag, marinate the chicken tenders in 3/4 c of the sauce for at least 2 hours.
Remove from the marinade and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Slice and serve.

Build the salad with the baby spinach first, then the relish, then the sliced chicken.
Top with the sauce as desired.