Tyler Florence's Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries

I made this dessert for the Easter feast hosted by our extended family.  It was very time intensive, as I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday. One of the ingredients listed is a lemon pound cake, which based on one of the recipe reviews, I made using Ina Garten's lemon yogurt cake recipe:(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-yogurt-cake-recipe/index.html)
Part of this recipe includes the making of fresh lemon curd, and while not terribly difficult, is an additional time investment.  The curd did come out terrific, but you could easily skip that step and use store bought lemon curd without comprimising the dessert at all.
That being said, here is a photo of my trifle, garnished on top with arranged berries and edible spring flowers.  Would I make it again, sure!  Will I use a store-bought lemon curd, probably.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/lemon-curd-trifle-with-fresh-berries-recipe/index.html

Crispy Lime Cilantro Wings with Sriracha Sauce

I know what you might be thinking.....ANOTHER recipe from Michael Symon?  But, when I saw him prepare these recently on The Chew (ABC), I knew that I would be trying them soon!  These hot wings are prepared in a somewhat normal fashion:

1. Marinade (a mixture of lime juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, sugar & salt)
2. Bake (prior to frying, reduces time spent in the frying oil)
3. Fry (he used DUCK FAT, not readily available, so I used peanut oil)
4. Sauce

However, the huge difference lies in the sauce.  It is a sauce consisting of Sriracha (Asian hot sauce), cider vinegar, honey and butter.  This combination of ingredients is incredibly spicy/sweet/salty all at once!  It creates a wonderful finishing glaze after being fried, and ends with a garnish of sliced jalapenos and cilantro leaves.  I urge you to give them a try, as they have become my new "go to" recipe for wings!!
Here is the recipe:

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Crispy-Lime-Cilantro-Chicken-Wings-Sriracha-Michael-Symon?cid=facebook_chewmichaellimewings

Michael Symon's Pastitsio

So this week I tried a recipe from "The Chew" on ABC.  It was chef Michael Symon's Greek dish, Pastitsio.  It is a layered dish with a meat (ragu) type sauce, tube shaped pasta (mustacholi), a bechamel cream sauce, and a top layer of cheese,Greek yogurt and eggs.  The time stated on the recipe was 60-120 minutes, and it was indeed an hour before I got it into the oven.  It was labor intensive, although no difficult technique is required, it uses almost every pot and pan in your kitchen by the time you're done! I took pictures at the vaious stages:

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This is the meat/eggplant ragu when completed.

 Bechamel (cream) sauce

Egg, yogurt, cheese topping

















The layering process

                                                                  

 The finished dish














So, did we like it?  Yes (only one person was indifferent).  Am I making it again?  Not anytime soon. It was good, but in my opinion not good enough for the time/mess factor.  Sorry Michael!
Note: the recipe suggests using Kasseri cheese in the topping, which I bought and used, but did not think it brought much to the dish for the added $6.00, so go with the parmesan instead!

Here is the recipe:

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Pastitsio-Michael-Symon

Coconut-Lime Chicken Noodle Soup

So last night I tried this recipe from the current issue of Everyday Food.  It was a sort of Thai coconut chicken soup.  The husband loved it, I liked it because of the slight sweetness from the coconut milk, and my daughter liked the noodles. It was extremely easy and quick (took about 40 minutes until it was in the bowls).  Here's the finished product:

I used Thai Kitchen coconut milk (1/2 regular and 1/2 lite to lower the fat):



I think that mentioning the brands I used is important because your results may vary when using a generic or store brand product. 

End result, would I make it again?  Yes.  Would your family like it?  Probably. Leave the jalapenos as a garnish, like I did, as most younger kids wont enjoy them!


I couldn't find the link online to the recipe yet, so here it is:

Coconut-Lime Chicken Noodle Soup
6 oz. dried flat rice noodles
3 1/2 c. chicken broth
2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/4″ rounds
1 can (13.5 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
6 T. lime juice (about 3 limes)
3 T. fish sauce
2 t. light brown sugar
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
3/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
1. Soak rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain.


2. In a large pot, bring broth and ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.


3. Add coconut milk to broth and return to a simmer. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, and 1/2 c. cilantro; cook one minute. Stir in noodles and serve immediately, topped with 1/4 c. remaining cilantro.


Serves 4
per serving: 328 cal, 16 g fat (13 g sat fat), 19 g protein, 29 g carb, 2 g fiber