cook like james

I watched Milk Street’s resident baking expert Rose Hattabaugh make this tart on their Facebook page and knew that I had to try it. Super-fast and easy to throw together (thanks to the “press-in” tart crust) this is great for a last-minute dessert. They stress the importance of using the best quality jam for this recipe, so I chose Stonewall Kitchen jams. They have a great variety and work well with this recipe – I particularly like the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Strawberry Apple Rhubarb Jam, and the Peach Amaretto Jam.

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup white sugar

3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup fine yellow cornmeal

¼ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1¼ cups fruit jam or preserves or marmalade

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lowest position. Mist a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, combine the sugar and 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest. Process until fragrant and the sugar is moistened, about 15 seconds. Add the flour, cornmeal and salt; process until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the egg and egg yolk, then process until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to clump together, 20 to 30 seconds.

3. Transfer about 1 cup of the dough mixture to a small bowl; set aside for the topping. Transfer the remainder to the prepared pan, scattering it across the bottom. Using your hands, press the dough into an even layer into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the jam, remaining 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Spread the jam mixture in an even layer in the dough-lined pan. Form the reserved dough into rough, pebbly pieces by squeezing bits between your fingers, then scatter them evenly over the filling; it’s fine if they are not uniform. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling in spots, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the tart pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a quick and easy way to cook chicken cutlets. As with most coatings, it helps to have everything lined up in order, to make the assembly quick and easy. You can easily do a salad version by adding some arugula to the cherry tomatoes.

Download Quick Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with Cherry Tomato Salad recipe

Cherry Tomato Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Crispy Parmesan Chicken

½ cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)

Salt and pepper, as needed

6 tablespoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toss cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2, Spread flour in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in a second shallow dish. Combine panko and Parmesan in a third shallow dish.

3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. One at time, dredge cutlets in the flour, then dip into beaten eggs, and then coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere.

4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook 2 cutlets at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side, Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Repeat with additional 3 tablespoons of olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets.

5. Transfer crispy chicken to individual plates and top with cherry tomato mixture. Serve

Pain d’épices is a French spice cake (or quick bread) that is well-known as a Christmas time pastry in the northeast of France, especially in the regions of Dijon, Alsace, and Reims. It’s a classic French recipe that’s easy to make and doesn’t require a mixer. The loaf keeps for a while, improving as the flavors meld and the cake gets denser thanks to the honey. Many traditional recipes use rye flour, but this one from Milk Street Kitchen uses a combination of all-purpose and almond flour which gives it great texture.  Raisins are optional but certainly are a welcomed addition if you use them.

Download French Honey Spice Cake (Pain d’épices pur miel)

228 grams (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground mace (or ¼ teaspoon allspice & ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted, plus more for pan

334 grams (1 cup) c honey

½ cup whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh gingerroot

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 cup raisins (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the upper-middle position. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger, mace, salt and pepper; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and honey until smooth and creamy. Add the milk, eggs, crystallized ginger, fresh gingerroot, and orange zest (and raisins if using); whisk until thoroughly combined.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold only until no dry our remains. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then bake until rm to the touch and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Sometimes a half dozen is just enough, and this recipe works well in my Breville Toaster oven. They come together quickly and ideal for using up overripe bananas. Perfectly domed because of the extra baking powder and higher than normal oven temperature, these muffins are moist and feature a crisp sugary crunch on top. (You can substitute thawed frozen bananas; be sure to add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw.

Download Small Batch Banana Walnut Muffins recipe 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon table salt

2-3 very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (1 cup)

6 tablespoons plus 1 additional tablespoon sugar, divided

1 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Be sure to use bananas that are very heavily speckled or even black; less-ripe bananas will produce dry muffins with less flavor. We like the classic pairing of banana and walnuts here, but you can substitute chopped toasted pecans or omit the nuts altogether if you prefer. (Nut-free muffins will be slightly smaller.)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 6-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

2. Whisk bananas, 6 tablespoons sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until fully combined. Stir in walnuts. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about ½ cup batter per cup; cups will be very full). Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 tablespoons sugar.

3. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is an easy and delicious appetizer, especially when you can find the best authentic Greek feta. It's great with wedges of warm pita bread or slices of baguette. Even after the feta has been eaten, the remaining oil is great for dipping with bread.

Download Easy Marinated Feta Cheese with Lemon Zest and Shallots recipe

1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, sliced thin

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves (plus a sprig for garnish)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces Greek feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup of the oil, the shallot, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan over low heat until the shallot is softened, about 15-18 minutes.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently stir in the feta. Cover and let sit until the mixture reaches room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup oil and serve. (The mixture can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Before serving, let sit at room temperature until the oil liquefies about 1 hour.)