Charleston Coconut Cakebread

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces)
a 7-ounce jar macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1-tablespoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt

Glaze: 1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amber or dark rum 


Baking:  Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 10-inch (3 quart) bundt pan. Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally and watching carefully to avoid burning, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer coconut to a bowl and cool. Spread nuts in pan and toast in middle of oven until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nuts and chop coarse.

Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl and beat just until combined well. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.

Finishing:  In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rum.  Brush hot glaze evenly over outside of warm cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely before topping with ice cream.

ETLLI EKMEK (Meat Stuffed Bread)

Ingredients:
Bread Dough:
1/2      teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4      Cup warm water plus 1/4 cup water or more as
           needed
1 3/4   Cups flour, plus more for kneading
1/4      teaspoon salt
1         Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Lamb/Kid Filling:
1          Small onion, very finely chopped
1          Large Tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
            small*
7          Ounces Lean ground Lamb/Kid (about 1 cup)
1          teaspoon lemon juice
1/2       teaspoon ground allspice
1/4       teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4       teaspoon cayenne pepper
--         Salt and fresh ground blackpepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the dough:
Stir the yeast into 1/4 cup warm water until creamy. Stir 1 3/4 cups flour and salt together in a bowl. Then make a well in the center.  Add the olive oil and work it in with your fingers. Then add the yeast mixture and another 1/4 cup water, or a little more if needed to make a dough that cleans the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Dusting with flour as needed. Cover with an inverted bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes.

To Make the Filling:
Combine all ingredients for filling.
Mixing well with your hand.

To SHAPE and COOK:
Preheat oven to the highest setting and fit with 2 racks. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Sprinkle with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and  rest for 15 minutes.

Working with 1 ball at a time. Flatten with your hand into a 5-inch round. Then pull and stretch it into a 10-inch-long oval. If the dough is elastic and wants to spring back, let it rest for a few moments. Then try again.
The stretched dough should be quite thin. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Divide the meat mixture among the ovals. Spreading it evenly and pressing it into the dough so it adheres.
Bake 15-20 minutes until the bread it golden.
Serve immediately.

Note:
* to peel and seed the tomato:
Place in boiling water about 15 seconds. Drain adn place in ice water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut in half cross-wise and squeeze out the seeds.

Makes 4 breads:

As this bread travels quite nicehly across borders.. some are 'spicier' some may even add some exotic concoctions like pomegranate molasses and omit the tomato. Heck, if you like to Experiment you may even come up with something that you could put your 'signature' on.

Pistachio and Goat Cheese Grapes

Yield: 40 servings

1/2 cup (21/2 ounces) shelled pistachios, salted or unsalted

Scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, optional

6 ounces creamy goat cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mint, plus several sprigs for garnish

20 green seedless grapes, rinsed and patted dry

1. Place pistachios in a plastic bag and crush coarsely with a meat pounder or a rolling pin. If using unsalted nuts, add a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bag and shake to mix. Spread the nuts on a dinner plate.

2. Place goat cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in mint with a table fork.

3. Scoop out about 1/2 tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture and press it evenly over a grape. Roll the grape for a few seconds in the palms of your hands until the coating is smooth and even. Roll the grape in pistachios and place it on a large plate. Repeat with the remaining grapes. (The grapes can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 15 minutes before serving.)

4. When ready to serve, use a sharp knife to halve the grape balls; arrange the halves on a serving tray. Garnish the platter with one or two mint sprigs. Pass a platter of grapes with small cocktail napkins.

Per serving: 25 calories; 2g fat; 1g saturated fat; 2mg cholesterol; 1g protein; 1g carbohydrate; 0.5g sugar; no fiber; 30mg sodium; 5mg calcium.

Wet Chocolate L'Orange Pound Cake

Yield: 16 Servings
Who would suspect the secret to this delicious dessert is genuine Idaho Potatoes? This fast and failproof recipe will have everyone clamoring back for seconds.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups margarine or butter (3 sticks), softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 8-oz. container sour cream
1 large Idaho Potato, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. orange extract
1/4 tsp. salt
5 large eggs
Cream Cheese Icing (below)
Raspberries for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1.. About 4 hours before serving or early in the day: preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan.
2.. In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar with margarine or butter just until blended. Increase speed to high, beat 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula.
3.. Reduce speed to low, add flour and next 8 ingredients; beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl. Increase speed to high, beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
4.. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
5.. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. With spatula, loosen cake from pan, remove from pan and cool completely on rack.
6.. When cake is cool, prepare Cream Cheese Icing, spread on top of cake allowing some to drizzle down the sides of cake. Garnish cake with raspberries.
Cream Cheese Icing:
INGREDIENTS:

1 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:

To prepare the Cream Cheese Icing:
1.. In a small bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat softened cream cheese and milk until smooth.
2.. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until well-blended and a good spreading consistency, adding additional milk if necessary.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: Calories, 606; Cholesterol, 14 mg.; Sodium, 401 mg.; Protein, 6 g. ; Carbohydrate, 97 g.; Fat, 23 g.
(does not include optional ingredients)

    
      Copyright © 1997-2006 Idaho Potato Commission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Find additional recipes at: www.idahopotato.com

Chocolate-Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients for the Crust:
2 cups whole almonds, toasted and cooled
scant 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, process the almonds and sugar together. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until incorporated. Press the mixture into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust has turned a slightly darker shade of brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Ingredients for the Filling:
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup heavy cream
about 1/4 oz. semisweet or milk chocolate

Preparation:
To make the filling: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Turn the mixer to low and add the cocoa powder. Mix until creamy--about one minute. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture and stir just until the ingredients are blended.
Pour into the prepared crust and, using a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate over the top of the tart.
Freeze for at least two hours.
To serve, let the tart sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and then cut.
After serving, return the remaining tart to the freezer. Wrapped well, the tart will keep for up to two weeks in the freezer.

Serves 10 to 12

Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake Recipe

From Cooking New American by Editors of Fine Cooking (Taunton Press)
Plan ahead to make this cake in advance so it has time to chill overnight. Fresh fruit such as blueberries, mangos, or peaches give the cake crowning glory, but it's wonderful on its own.
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces gingersnap crumbs, about 2 1/4 cups (about 40 cookies)
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2/3 cup sugar; more for the pan
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup minced candied (crystallized) ginger
1 pound mascarpone
1/3 cup heavy cream
PREPARATION:
Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray or grease it lightly. Dust with a little sugar and knock out any excess. Rub the gingersnap crumbs and butter together with your fingertips to combine. Sprinkle half over the bottom of the pan and pat down evenly; reserve the rest.
With an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, and candied ginger until smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and cream and whip until the mixture is thorough combined and just holds peaks. Carefully spoon half of the mascarpone cream over the crust, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs over the mascarpone cream in the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone cream and finish with the remaining crumbs. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Serves 12

Recipe from: Cooking New American How to Cook the Food You Love to Eat, 200 Recipes From the Editors of Fine Cooking. Recipe by Heather Ho (Taunton Press)
Copyright 2004 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Reprinted with express written permission.

Ultra-Juicy, Skillet Grassfed Goat-burgers

Sloans Creek Farm ~ Dodd City, TX ~ AGA Member
Should serve 4 hungry folks without any problem.
http://www.americangrassfed.org/fantastic-grassfed-goat-recipes/

Here is a unique twist for hamburgers for your family. Use grassfed goat-burger for an interesting taste experience. Goat, or chevon as it is widely known, is a staple red meat for much of the rest of the world outside the US. It is very lean and healthy, especially when it is grassfed. If you enjoy whitetail deer meat you should really enjoy this grassfed goat-burger experience. Goat has a specific taste, but we don’t think it is near as stout as wild venison. This recipe should make some succulent grassfed goat-burger patties for you and your family to enjoy!
1 lb of grassfed ground goat (goat-burger), thawed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon of dried cilantro
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of sea salt or natural trace mineralized salt such as Redmond™
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoons of olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Note: When available use locally produced or homegrown organic ingredients. Support your local, sustainable agricultural producers.

1) In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium to high heat. Add the onion, lower the heat, and sauté for about 20 minutes until nicely browned and caramelized. Be careful to not allow onions to stick to skillet. Set aside to cool.

2) Place the goat-burger in a mixing bowl, mix in the onions, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, cumin, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

3) Shape the goat-burger into 4 to 6 patties.

4) In a cast iron skillet heat the remaining olive oil and the butter over medium-to-high heat.

5) Cook the patties in oil and butter until medium to medium-well, from about 10 to12 minutes on each side. The oil is to help retain moisture and prevent sticking. Grassfed goat-burger is very lean.

When done, serve with your favorite hamburger buns, sliced cheese (grassfed and/or organic), fresh lettuce, homegrown tomatoes, and your favorite condiment—such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbeque, or other sauce.