Blueberry Lime Layer Cake

Turn fresh blueberries into a decadent treat. This moist, lime-infused layer cake features thick whipped cream cheese frosting and a blueberry filling that can be splashed with gin. Embrace the warm weather with a burst of Summer flavors from Kitchen Vignettes with PBS Food.
 

Ingredients

For the Lime Cake:

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ Tbsp organic lime zest (2 large limes)
• 3 large eggs
• ⅓ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (2 large limes, use the same ones you grated)
• 1 cup full-fat whole milk yoghurt
   

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 packages 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 ½ cup icing sugar
   

For the Blueberry Filling:

• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour (or flour - for frozen berries, add an additional tablespoon)
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp gin (optional)
   

For Decorating (optional):

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Fresh lime slices

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

This protein-rich salad combines the vibrant flavors of mango, avocado, cilantro, lime, and cumin in a side dish that is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The "super group" of fiber, protein, iron, potassium, magnesium, and folate is also low on the glycemic index and may moderate blood sugar levels. If your meal needs color and zing that is also good for you, this offering from Kitchen Vignettes will satisfy everyone at the table.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (⅔ cup uncooked)
• 3 cups cooked black beans (1 ½ cup uncooked)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 mango, cubed
• 1 red pepper, cubed
• 1 medium-large cooked sweet potato, cubed
• 1 minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped (about 2 cups of loose, chopped cilantro)
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

For the dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 medium garlic cloves (3 cloves for the garlic lovers!)

Recipe courtesy of PBS' Kitchen Vignettes

No Knead Bread

Aube Giroux is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates with the award-winning Kitchen Vignettes. Many love homemade bread but hesitate to put in the elbow grease. Giroux shows an easy method for making delicious, bakery-quality bread in the home oven.

• 3 cups flour + a little extra for dusting (can use 2 cups white unbleached flour and 1 cup of spelt or whole wheat)

• ¼ tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 ½ cup water

• 1 Tbsp cornmeal or semolina flour

Recipe courtesy of PBS' Kitchen Vignettes

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

"Create Cooking Challenge: Easy Peasy" Top 10 Finalist Clara Young takes a healthy spin on a decadent chocolate mousse. Clara notes, "Traditional chocolate mousse can be tricky to make and heavy with eggs, cream, and butter. But here’s an easier, healthier, faster, and affordable way to make mousse using nature’s butter — avocados! It’s also low in calories, vegan, dairy free, egg free, and guilt free. It will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator."

• 2 ripe avocados

• 1/4 cup regular cocoa powder and/or melted chocolate

• 3-4 tablespoon of almond, oat, or coconut milk

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/8 tsp sea salt (optional)

Recipe courtesy of Create TV

Should You Let Meat Rest?

"Serving Up Science" with Sheril Kirshenbaum addresses the controversial "resting the meat" discussion. There’s a reason professional chefs recommend that you wait between cooking meat and serving. Sheril reveals the science behind this important step that should not be overlooked if you hope to serve the juiciest steaks, chops and roasts.

Recipe courtesy of PBS Food

Juicy Meatballs in Lemon Sauce

Anita Sankar became a "Create Cooking Challenge: Easy Peasy" top ten finalist with this easy recipe that takes less than 30 minutes. The bright lemon flavor works well with ground chicken or turkey, creating a lighter alternative to beef in marinara on warm summer nights.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or chicken

1/4 cup grated yellow onion

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 lemon (you will use 1 tbsp lemon zest and 1/4 cup lemon juice)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

1.5 cups plus 2 tbsps water

Recipe courtesy of Create TV.

Sweet Tea Barbecue

Southerners are famous for their sweet iced tea and their loyalty to the beverage. When winning chef Scott Meeks accepted "Create Cooking Challenge: Easy Peasy," he remembered joking with his Southern mom that her sweet tea was more like a syrup. He decided to replace the molasses in his BBQ recipe with sweet tea and fans of the beverage will be delighted with the result.

• Strongly brewed tea (I steep 9 black tea bags with 12 ounces of hot water to get the tea with the absolute MOST kick)

• 1 bottle of chili sauce (12 ounces)

• 2 TBSP Dijon mustard

• 1 TBSP smoke paprika

• 1 cup of sugar

• Protein of your choice (beef, chicken, pork, or Meeks uses tofu)

Recipe courtesy of Create TV.

Taco, Taco, Nacho - Sarah's Weeknight Meals

Quick to make and much beloved, tacos are a staple on the weekday dinner table. Sara has her own recipe for duck tacos, then travels to Miami to learn a Cuban taco mashup with blogger Patty Ruiz – chicken vaca frita tacos. Almost a taco but just as good – Sara’s nacho pie.

Recipe courtesy of PBS. 

Salmon on Crispy Rice

Chef John Sugimura shares his tips for picking and curing the perfect piece of salmon for this dish. This cure recipe is simple yet effective at bringing out the best flavor and texture in the fish. Sugimura cooks up this dish to connect with his Japanese American heritage and the legacy of his grandmother who persevered after being sent to a WWII internment camp. 

This is not a quick week night dish, but the results are well worth the effort. It is important to read through all of the directions prior to preparation, as the timing of each component varies greatly.

• 7 ounces (210 g) sushi-grade salmon fillets skin removed and divided into loin and belly

• Sprinkle a single layer of iodized salt evenly on all sides of salmon

• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2.5 hours to cure, do not exceed 2.75 hours

• After curing, remove salt by rinsing thoroughly under cold water and thoroughly pat dry. Cured fish can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

• Place a 2-inch square dashi kombu in the base of a small pot.

• Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sake, 1 teaspoon tamari, 1 teaspoon mirin and a pinch of Japanese bonito flakes

• Heat over low heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pot, just before the mixture simmers

• Remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes.

• Strain liquid into a bowl and set aside to cool.

About 5 hours before you’d like to serve, cook the rice:

• Flood 1 cup Japanese medium-grain milled rice (Kokuho Rose Rice) in a pan with cold water and drain to remove loose starch; fold rice in water seven times to gently agitate to reduce starch; drain; and repeat two times.

• When rice is completely drained, add exactly 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water

• Cook rice with dried kelp to reduce starchy flair in rice

• Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to very low. Simmer until the water is absorbed in the rice is soft, about 20 minutes.

• Let rest, covered. When done correctly, freshly cooked rice will be drier on the top than on the bottom. It's crucial that the rice be allowed to sit off the heat for at least 40 minutes, in order for moisture to evenly distribute itself through the pan.

Season the rice:

Properly seasoned Japanese rice (Awase-zu) enhances the refined delicate taste and texture. The adherence of ingredient ratio is critical.

• Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar in a small pot, and mix well on low heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Allow seasoning to cool.

• When the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and pour in the vinegar mixture, mixing well.  Season rice and hold hot at 180 degrees for best flavor and texture. Keep sealed with plastic wrap. Shelf life not to exceed four hours.

Mold the rice into cakes.

• Organize heavy duty, plastic 10-piece nigiri sushi mold (top, bottom and frame) and apply a light coat with unflavored non-stick spray for rice to release easily.

• Weigh 9 ounces (255 grams) of 180 degrees or hotter properly seasoned Japanese rice organized in a well-formed ball.

• Distribute rice neatly and evenly into the corners and sides before the body to ensure coverage and 100% yield. 

• Work quickly to mold the hot starch-coated rice grains to maximize stick for stability. Score between the 10 rice cakes for clean edges and quick release. In a pinch, if you don't have a nigiri mold, cakes can be molded by hand, but may fall apart more easily

• When ready to serve, crisp rice cakes by applying a smudge of salted whipped butter on first side and heat on dry grill surface set to 375 degrees. Repeat on second side.

• Submerge freshly prepared crispy rice cake in soy sauce (Kikkoman “regular” soy sauce) and heat on hot dry grill surface quickly 10-15 seconds on both sides to caramelize.

• Slice cured salmon loin into 20 gram, 1.5- by 2.5-inch strips

• Place the salmon strip on top of cooked rice cake and generously brush with house-brewed soy

• Sear salmon with butane torch to medium rare on a heat safe surface (if you don't have a torch, you can set the salmon rice cakes under a broiler for 10-15 seconds

• Garnish with a smudge of wasabi and sliced scallions on top of seared salmon.

Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of PBS Food.Relish, produced by Twin Cities PBS, shares stories of cultural heritage through the universal language of food. In each episode, host Yia Vang (Union Hmong Kitchen) takes viewers inside the home kitchens of local chefs as they serve up an ingredient or dish that has personal and cultural meaning to them.

Lidia Bastianich's Decadent "Zabaglione"

Zabaglione is a deceptively simple custard made all over Italy with only eggs, sugar, and a dry Marsala. Marsala is a fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala near Sicily. The finished cream has a rich flavor on its own, but a semi sweet chocolate sauce adds to the decadence.

You will need:

• 6 egg yolks, room temperature

• 3 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate*

• 1/4 cup dry Marsala

• 1/4 cup sugar
 

* Optional: In a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt 3 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, stirring often so the chocolate melts evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the bowl of chocolate over the water to keep it warm. 

In a medium-size, copper or other heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, Marsala and sugar until smooth. Place over, not in, barely simmering water and continue beating (switching to an electric handheld mixer, if you like) until the mixture is pale yellow, frothy and falls in thick ribbons when the whisk or beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes if you are whisking by hand or about 4 minutes if you are using an electric mixer. It is important to whisk continuously or the egg yolks will cook and the mixture will appear curdled. Remove the sauce from over the heat, and fold in the optional chocolate sauce. Serve immediately with cookies or fruit. Makes about 2 cups, which is 3 to 4 dessert servings or 6 servings as a sauce for fruit.

Recipe courtesy of Lidia's Kitchen on PBS.

For Cinco de Mayo, a Sopapilla Tradition

In preparation for the town’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, lifelong resident Patsy Garcia, 90, spent the morning making sopapillas with her daughter, Peggy Williams. 

You will need:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons shortening
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 quarts vegetable oil
 

Serve with honey and/or cinnamon sugar, a side of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, or simply powdered sugar.

Recipe courtesy of MPB's sister station, Rocky Mountain PBS.

Wacky Cake

Ashley Moore of Cook's Country demonstrates a deceptively simple "wacky cake," a moist chocolate cake prepared without eggs or butter. The wacky cake was developed during the Depression era when certain ingredients - like eggs and butter - were either too expensive or simply unavailable. Today, it almost seems like magic.

Ingredients 
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup water 

1 cup confectioner's sugar

 

Recipe courtesy of CreateTV.

Around-The-World Honey Roasted Chicken and Cheesy Rice

Chris Nance demonstrates how to load the classic "chicken and rice" dinner with multiple levels of flavor. This three-course meal is quick sauteed and then baked, but the end result is worth the prep time. Be prepared to learn some new tricks and add spices and herbs found in African, Latin, French and American cuisines to your pantry.

Ingredients 

8 pieces of chicken
2 tablespoons of pink salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of coriander
1 teaspoon of ground caraway seeds
1 teaspoon of ground rosemary
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of harissa paste, a North African red pepper sauce
1 tablespoon of olive oil 
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of rice
Chicken stock in lieu of water
24 ounces of sour cream
7 ounces of diced, green chilies
1 jar of tomatillo salsa
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 can of cream of chicken
A pinch of sugar
Cheddar Jack cheese
Smoked paprika
Fresh cilantro
 

Recipe courtesy of CreateTV.

Nick Stellino's Classic French Toast

The famed Sicilian chef demonstrates an easy breakfast that is popular with all ages for any occasion. With a couple of "secret" ingredients that add a little extra flavor, Stellino shows you how to make a customizable classic in under a minute. Click button for full recipe.

Ingredients 

Eggs

Sugar

Vanilla*

Cream

Bread slices, one inch thick

Clarified butter

Maple Syrup

Powdered sugar*
 

Whisk egg mixture well. Lay the bread slices out in the casserole dish and add the egg mixture to soak slices. Cook it two and a half minutes per side on medium heat. Dress with maple syrup, and finish with powdered sugar.

*Secret ingredients.

Recipe courtesy of CreateTV.

Christy Rost's Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner

Lean chicken, red potatoes, carrots, and broccoli add plenty of fiber, antioxidants and color to this easy dinner roast. For busy school nights or whenever you need to get dinner on the table with a minimum of fuss and stress, this recipe is an aromatic, incredibly tasty meal-in-a-pan. 

Ingredients 

• 4 ½-5 pounds (total) chicken legs and thighs, skin removed if desired 
• 6 medium-size red potatoes, rinsed and quartered lengthwise 
• 4 large carrots, rinsed, peeled, cut in 2-inch lengths, and quartered 
• 4 cups broccoli florets and stems, rinsed and drained 
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped into 2-inch wedges 
• 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped 
• 5 stems fresh thyme 
• 1 stem fresh rosemary 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

Seasoning 

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 
• ¾ teaspoon creole seasoning 
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
   

Recipe courtesy of CreateTV.

Cherry Tomato Galette

The Guianan or Creole "galette" is a savory crepe from French Guiana. It is made with Buckwheat flour, which makes it gluten free while having a richer flavor. This entree is great for any occasion, and kids can help in the preparation.

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY:

• 1 ¼ cup unbleached white flour chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes (I used spelt and it worked beautifully)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. (½ cup) cold unsalted butter
• ¼ cup full-fat yoghurt (if liquidy, drain it first so it is thick and creamy)
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup ice water

FOR THE FILLING:

• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• About 1 pound of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Freshly minced basil for garnish (4 or 5 basil leaves)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. water
   

Recipe courtesy of PBS Food.

Simple Science Tricks to Upgrade Holiday Treats

Learning the chemistry and physics behind baking techniques can take your treats to the next level. By playing with the basic elements in your cookies — sugar, protein, aromatics and moisture — you can unlock entirely new flavors without changing the texture of your favorite family recipe. The full article can be found here courtesy of PBS News Hour.