Coconut-Lime Berry Cake

     I was searching for a recipe which would help me use up a pile of limes and a half a bag of shredded coconut I had leftover from the holidays.  This Coconut-Lime Berry Cake from Martha Stewart filled the bill on both counts.  Easy to make in your dutch oven, every bite of this coffee-cake like dessert will have you thinking of sunny beaches and ocean breezes.  I used a bag of frozen blackberries but you can use any combination of fresh or frozen berries.  I would suggest not thawing the frozen variety before baking, I briefly stirred them in the orange juice, minus the flour, before placing them on top of the batter.  In my 12 inch oven, the cake baked in 30 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24 on top.  Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and enjoy this tropical cake while still warm, it's a great way to treat yourself in the middle of winter.

Coconut-Lime Berry Cake
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp finely grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons amber rum or orange juice

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In a large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, salt and coconut.
     In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light and fluffy.
     Add eggs one at a time, and beat until combined.
     With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of buttermilk; beat until combined.
     Stir in lime zest and juice.
     Pour batter into prepared dutch oven; smooth top with a rubber spatula.
     In medium bowl, toss together 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, berries and rum or orange juice.
     Scatter berry mixture over batter.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake is golden at edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
     Let cake cool in dutch oven for 30 minutes before removing.
     Serve warm or at room temperature.

Scatter berries on top of dense batter

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Coconut, lime and berries will have you thinking of warm summer days

Garlicky Cherry Tomato and Bread Gratin

      Jacques Pepin is my hero, when it comes to experience and knowledge of cooking he is in a league of his own.  You have got to love a chef who turns down a job in the White House to work for Howard Johnson.  Mr. Pepin's recipe for Garlicky Cherry Tomato and Bread Gratin takes simple ingredients and transforms them into something wonderful.  Like a warm Panzanella salad, cherry tomatoes, day old French bread, garlic, olive oil and cheese bake into a crispy gratin with all the flavors of summer.  In a 10 inch oven, I baked the gratin for 30 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 18-20 on the lid.  If you're missing the sun ripened flavor of an off the vine tomato in the middle of winter, give this recipe a try.  Baking the cherry tomatoes heightens their flavor and their sweet juices are absorbed by the cubes of garlicky  bread.   

Garlicky Cherry Tomato and Bread Gratin
One 5-ounce piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 cups)
1 1/2 pounds small cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
     Scrape the mixture into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.
     Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Mix ingredients well in a large bowl then pour into dutch oven

Bake at 375 degrees for thirty minutes or until tomatoes are tender and bread is golden

Serve with a rotisserie chicken for an easy weeknight meal

Super Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

      In yesterday's post I showed you how to make Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls.  Well today I am going to simplify that process even more.  This time I used a tube of packaged cinnamon rolls, these were the cheaper kind that come out of the package looking like little speckled discs of dough.  Well, with a little determination you can unroll them, stretch them out on a piece of parchment paper and slap a slice of pre-cooked bacon on top.  You know, the kind of bacon that you can buy in a box that sits on your shelf, unrefrigerated.  Believe it or not, it is cooked to the exact consistency that you need to roll it easily.  Once again, put the bacon on the dough, roll it up and bake away.  In my 10 inch oven they baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24 on the lid, in 15 minutes they were puffy and golden.  Frost them with the packaged icing or make your own, they need to be eaten right away because they harden quickly.  And, for bacon lovers only, if you really want to guild the lilly, wrap a hot bun with another piece of bacon before you pop it in your mouth, it is sinfully delicious.  You will have no problem with leftovers because there won't be a crumb left of these sugary, salty treats.

Super Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
1 packaged tube of Cinnamon Rolls (8 in the package)
1 box of pre-cooked, unrefrigerated bacon

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Carefully unroll each cinnamon roll and stretch it flat.
     Place a piece of pre-cooked bacon on top of the dough.
     Roll as tightly as you can and place in prepared oven.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until doubled in size and golden.
     Frost with prepared or homemade icing and serve immediately.

     Homemade Icing
     1 Tblsp cream OR milk
     1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
     Whisk sugar with cream until smooth and spreadable. 
     Add more cream if necessary to reach desired consistency.
     Drizzle over hot rolls.

Carefully unroll dough and cover with a slice of pre-cooked bacon

Roll buns as tightly as you can and place in well-oiled oven

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown

Frost to your heart's content and wolf them down while they're still warm

Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

     Kudos to the brilliant person who first thought of winding a slice of bacon in a cinnamon roll.  These Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate breakfast treat, hot, gooey, soft dough enveloped around a warm slice of bacon is nothing short of nirvana.  The best part is that you make them with Pillsbury Grand Cinnamon rolls so all you have to do is crack open the tube and wrap it around the bacon.  The rolls come 5 in a package so if you're cooking for more than a few people make a double batch, nobody, and I mean nobody, can eat just one.  Cook the bacon until it is still soft and pliable, don't let it get crispy.  Carefully separate the rolls, you may have to cut them with a serrated knife, then unroll them on a piece of parchment paper or the counter.  If you're a real bacon addict, there is room for two slices of bacon in each bun.  I only used one and left the outer portion of the dough strip uncovered so it would hold it's shape when I rewound the rolls.  In my 10 inch oven they baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 22 on the lid and were ready in 15 minutes.  Needless to say, frost while they are still warm and prepare to watch them vanish before your very eyes.  If you're a bacon lover, this will undoubtedly become your new favorite camping breakfast, blissfully start your day in the great outdoors with these sublime cinnamon rolls. 

Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
1 package of Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls
5-10 slices of bacon

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cook bacon until lightly browned but still soft; drain on paper toweling.
     Separate cinnamon rolls and unroll on parchment paper or counter.
     Place 1 or 2 slices on inside of each unrolled piece of dough.
     Roll tightly and place in bottom of prepared oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until puffed and golden.
     Frost and serve while still warm.
     Makes 5 rolls.

Unroll each cinnamon roll and cover with strip of cooked bacon

Rewind dough tightly and place in well oiled dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned

I'll bet you can't eat just one 

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

     It has been bitterly cold here today which had me craving a hot bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  This Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup from Giada DeLaurentiis was not only easy to prepare but required little if any pot watching while it was cooking.  After I added the ingredients, I went inside and after 25 minutes when I peeked out the window and saw the steam pouring out from under the lid of my dutch oven I knew it was ready.  Saute the carrots, garlic and onions briefly over a full spread of coals, add the rest of the ingredients, cover the lid with enough coals to bring it to a steady simmer and let it bubble until the pasta is soft and tender.  Hearty and warming, the red pepper gives it a dash of extra heat that is perfect on a blustery day.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup
2 Tblsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce 
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 to 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Saute carrots, onion and garlic in olive oil over a full compliment of coals until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
     Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper.
     Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender.
     Serves 4-5.

Saute carrots, garlic and onion in olive oil over a full compliment of coals

Add remainder of ingredients and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender

Top off this warming soup with a sprinkling of Parmesan

Chicken Adobo

     Chicken Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines.  Not to be confused with the Spanish method of using adobo, or spices, to prepare the meat, instead the chicken is stewed in vinegar and soy sauce.  There are several methods of preparing this dish, some require browning the chicken and reducing the liquid, others marinating the chicken for several hours ahead of time.  This recipe from the LA Times seemed the easiest and most adaptable to dutch oven cooking.  My 14 year old nephew, who spent much of his childhood in the Philippines, not only prepared this meal but gave it two thumbs up for tasting as good as he remembered when he lived there.  We baked the chicken in a 12 inch dutch oven with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and the lid completely covered with 28-30 coals.  The wind was howling so we added a few extra for good measure.  In forty minutes the chicken was golden brown and tender as could be.  You will be amazed by how a few ingredients can impart such a unique flavor to the chicken, sweet, salty and juicy like you can't believe. Use the low sodium soy sauce if you're watching your salt intake and be sure to serve this with rice so you can drown it in the delicious sauce.

Chicken Adobo
3 pound chicken cut into pieces (cut the breast pieces in half) OR 8-10 chicken pieces
12 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tblsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 dried bay leaves

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Place chicken in one layer in bottom of oven.
     Combine vinegar, soy sauce and black pepper in small bowl; pour over chicken.
     Sprinkle with garlic cloves and add bay leaves.
     Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
     Serve with rice, spoon sauce over chicken.

Pour soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and pepper over chicken

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is golden brown

Simple to make but complex in flavor

Cabbage and Potato Bake

     In many parts of the world eating greens and cabbage on New Year's Day is thought to bring you luck and good fortune in the coming year.  In the South, the belief is that for every mouthful of collards you eat, you will be rewarded with one thousand dollars in the New Year.  This may be how the term 'cabbage' came into being as an expression for money.  This Cabbage and Potato Bake from Emeril Lagasse received glowing reviews on the Food Network website.  I try to post recipes that you can make all in one pot but this one looked so good that I thought it would be worth the effort to add that extra step.  Of course you can fry the bacon and onions in your dutch oven then remove them before adding the cabbage and potatoes but it is infinitely faster and much easier to cook them in your cast iron skillet, or whatever pan you use, at home or over your camp stove. The vegetables baked beautifully in my 12 inch camp oven with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and the lid completely covered with coals.  Once I set them to bake I left them alone and after 50 minutes the cabbage was soft, the potatoes were tender when pierced with a knife and they were ready to be taken off the coals.  Believe me when I say this, once you try this recipe you will never go back to boiling cabbage again.  Maybe it was the sugar cured bacon and Vidalia onions but the vegetables had a sweetness to them like I've never tasted before.  If you don't try this dish now, file it away for St. Patrick's Day, it's easy to see why it got 5 star reviews. 
     I wish you a very Happy New Year and I hope you resolve to do the things that bring you joy in the coming year, whether it's preparing a nice weeknight meal for your family or backpacking into the wilderness and cooking over an open fire, keep those coals lit, your dutch ovens hot and continue to make cooking the adventure it was meant to be. 

Cabbage and Potato Bake
1 cabbage, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
2 large Idaho potatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
8-12 oz. lean bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups yellow onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned, low-sodium chicken broth

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven.
     Rinse cabbage under cold running water and remove tough outer leaves.
     Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the hard core.
     Cut the cabbage quarters into halves and place, rounded side down, in bottom of prepared oven.
     Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise, cut each potato half into quarters.
     Arrange potatoes in dutch oven, alternating with the cabbage pieces.
     Fry the bacon in a heavy skillet for 7 minutes.
     Add the sliced onions, salt and black pepper to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
     Evenly distribute the bacon mixture and pan drippings over the vegetables.
     Pour chicken stock over vegetables.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
     Allow vegetables to sit in dutch oven for 15 minutes.
     Serve with the bacon and broth spooned over them.


To make it easier saute bacon and onions in a cast iron skillet

Top potatoes and cabbage with onions and potatoes, add chicken broth

Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender

Trust me, cabbage has never tasted so good