Recipe: Vasina Torta (A Scrumptuous Bosnian Cake Modified in America)

This is a great cake recipe from Alma in Sarajevo, Bosnia! There are 3 separate parts to it: the cake, the nut filling, and the meringue frosting. I like to double the nuts layer and make the whole cake really impressive and taller. When I have time, I will rewrite the recipe to make the amounts more obvious, and easier for non-metric cooks (like me).

TOTAL INGREDIENTS
9 eggs
25 Tbs sugar
22 Tbs ground walnuts/pecans
200 grams butter
1 Dl milk
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbs flour
4 Tbs water

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 220 ° C.

CAKE
5 eggs separated.
Add 5 spoons sugar to yolks.
Beat whites until stiff.
Beat yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.

To yolk mixture, add:
6 spoons ground nuts
2 spoons flour

Carefully fold in beaten whites

I sasuti in pouljen and bobrasnen mold for the cake.

Bake for about 20 minutes.


NUTS LAYER
Combine in the top of a double boiler:
1 dl milk
8 Tbs sugar
2 squares semi-sweet Baker's chocolate

When all are combined, move top of double boiler directly over another burner and very carefully heat to boiling, stirring constantly, not allowing mixture to scorch.

Once heated to boiling for a few moments, replace pan back on top of double boiler and when no longer boiling, stir in and combine very well:

14 Tbs ground nuts
4 egg yolks
200 grams butter

Cool the mixture (in the freezer/fridge if necessary, stirring every few minutes) until it is semi-solid, then spread it like a second layer on top of the cake (don't spread it on the sides of the cake).


MERINGUE FROSTING
8 Tbs sugar
4 Tbs water
Dissolve sugar and bring to a boil in a small saucepan:

(Have ready):
Beat 4 egg whites
When well beaten, add 4 Tbs sugar and continue to beat until stiff and shining.

Beating constantly, dribble the sugar syrup into the egg whites. Continue beating for several minutes until mixture has cooled and thickened considerably.

Frost the cake (remember to have added the nuts layer first), and cool in the fridge before serving.

Recipe: Is Organic Always Good for You?

Here is a recipe that I haven't tried yet, but I plan to make it this weekend. It looks awesome! I am sure I will gain 3-lbs while eating it! (That's the only reason I titled this post the way I did).

Pete and Gerry's is a 4-generation family farm located in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I buy fresh, organic eggs from them at my local Stop & Shop grocery. Pete and Gerry's eggs are from cage-free, humanely-raised, organic-certified hens. My family is so used to these great eggs that when, in a pinch, I bought some "regular" eggs from the 24-hour pharmacy around the corner, they asked me "what was wrong with" the regular eggs. There really is a difference!

This recipe, included in Pete and Gerry's August '09 e-newsletter, hails from the Maples Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine, where it's a signature dish. It was apparently featured in Gourmet, too.

Maples Inn Blueberry-Stuffed French Toast (Organic Version)
10 Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs
12 slices of organic white bread
2 8-oz packages of organic cream cheese
1 cup of organic fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup organic maple syrup (at least use actual maple syrup, people!)
2 cups organic milk

Remove the crusts and cube the bread. Spray the bottom of a 9"x13" glass baking dish with vegetable spray and place half of the bread cubes in the pan. Cube the cream cheese and put it on top of the bread. Distribute the blueberries over the cream cheese. Put the remaining bread cubes over the blueberries.

Beat the eggs, add the maple syrup and the milk. Pour this mixture over the bread and cheese. Place foil over the dish and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, place the covered dish in the middle of a preheated 350° F oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until the French toast is puffed and golden.

Let the French toast sit for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with warm blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup water
1 cup organic sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups organic fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon organic butter

While the French toast is baking, make the blueberry sauce. Cook the water, cornstarch, sugar and 1 cup of the blueberries until it thickens. Then add the second cup of blueberries and the butter.

Pour the warm blueberry sauce over individual servings. Twist a lemon slice over the top of each serving for garnish.

Serves 9-12. Avoid stepping on scale for at least 48-hours after eating. Go for a jog!!

Recipe: Chilled Shrimp & Tomato

This is a very simple shrimp dish that I made last night. I served it hot. It was good. I refrigerated the leftovers and ate them cold for lunch today. It was even tastier served chilled, and I think that's how I'll serve this dish in the future.

Ingredients
20 jumbo shrimp
4 small, flavorful tomatoes
1 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup half-and-half
1/2 a fresh lemon
freshly-ground black pepper
(salt)

Preparation

1. Peel and dice the tomatoes. Toss them well in a colander to get rid of most seeds and juice, then leave them to drain more in the colander.
2. Peel, de-vein, and remove tails from shrimp.
3. Coarsely chop the onions.
4. Chop the garlic.
5. Thoroughly juice the 1/2-lemon and remove the seeds but retain the pulp and juice in a bowl.
6. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide pan.
7. Add the onions and coat them with the oil. Saute for several minutes. Do not allow onions to brown.
8. Add the garlic and continue to saute for a few minutes more, not allowing mixture to brown.
9. When onions are glossy, limp, and yellow, add some pepper, and the tomatoes, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Increase heat only slightly, if necessary.
10. Add the shrimp, continuing to saute.
11. When shrimp are almost pink, stir in the Parmesan cheese and cook for a minute or two.
12. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in half-and-half. Keep stirring. Don't let sauce boil too much or the consistency can be too thick and/or grainy.
13. Reduce flame to very low (if electric stove, remove from heat) and stir in lemon juice and pulp.
14. Season with salt if necessary.
15. Serve chilled.

Notes
This dish might also work if you were to add one of the following: salt-packed capers, fresh rosemary, fresh dill, or fresh basil. It should also go well with cucumber. You can take a shortcut and use cooked, frozen shrimp; just wait a little longer to add them, and take care not to overcook them.