Cumin-Rubbed Steak Tacos with Turmeric-Lime Crema

Ingredients
12 flour or corn tortillas
3 tbs Cumin Seeds
1 tbs Coriander Seeds
1 tbs Smoked Paprika
kosher salt
2–12 ounce Strip Steaks
vegetable oil for the pan
cilantro sprigs to garnish (optional)
Directions
Start by heating a skillet over medium heat and toast each corn tortilla on both sides. Set aside.
With the skillet still warm, toast the cumin, coriander and paprika for a couple of minutes, just until the spices become fragrant. Immediately remove from heat and let the spices cool.
Grind spices in a coffee grinder and then rub evenly over the steaks. Season well with salt.
Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan with enough vegetable oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is very hot, add the steaks to the pan.
Cook about 5-6 minutes each side, flipping them only once, to achieve medium-rare. Cook an additional couple of minutes for more doneness.
Once the meat has cooked to desired temperature, remove from skillet and set aside to rest, at least 10 minutes.
While steak is resting, assemble the Turmeric-Lime Crema (recipe follows) and set aside. Slice steak into thin strips, working against the grain.
To assemble, spread a tablespoon or so of crema onto each taco.
Top with steak and garnish with a single cilantro leaf. Serve immediately.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/cumin-rubbed-steak-tacos-with-turmeric-lime-crema/

Capirotada with Bananas, Pecans and Prunes

Ingredients
8 cups water
1 pound piloncillo, grated, or about 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 ceylon or true cinammon stick
3 whole cloves
1 challah or brioche, preferably a couple days old, cut into 1/2 inch slices or cubed
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted for brushing bread, plus more for greasing the casserole
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
4 oz, or about 1 cup, crumbled Queso Fresco, Añejo or Cotija
Ground cinnamon, optional, to sprinkle ontop
Directions
In a medium sauce pan, pour the water and set it over medium high heat. Once it comes to a simmer, add the grated piloncillo, cinnamon and cloves, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes, until it has all dissolved and has a light syrup consistency. Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon and cloves.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the bread slices with unsalted butter. Place in a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Place a layer of bread in the bottom covering the entire surface. Cover with the banana slices, prunes and pecans. Pour half the syrup on top. Add another layer of bread, pour the remaining syrup on top and sprinkle the crumbled cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the syrup has been absorbed. Remove from the oven. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes for the Capirotada to settle and for the entire syrup to be soaked up, then serve. You can also serve it lukewarm or cold. It can also be reheated.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/capirotada-with-bananas-pecans-and-prunes/

Vegan Mango Pudding

 Ingredients
340 grams (12 ounces) silken tofu
3 ripe medium-sized mangoes
agave nectar (optional)
20 vegan digestive biscuits
Directions
Put the tofu in a colander and allow it to drain over a bowl for at least 30 minutes to get rid of the extra water.
Peel two of the mangoes and remove as much fruit as possible from around the seed using a knife. You should have about 400 grams (14 ounces) of fruit. Put the mango and drained tofu into a blender and blend until smooth. If your mango was ripe, you shouldn't need to add any sugar, but if it's not sweet enough for your tastes, add some agave nectar.
In a glass bowl, spread a 1/4" layer of pudding down and top with biscuits. You can break the biscuits up into pieces to make them fit into the nooks and crannies. Continue alternating layers of biscuits and pudding until you run out of pudding (the top layer should be pudding).
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To finish, peel and slice the remaining mango and spread the slices on top of the pudding. To serve, use a spoon to scoop the mango pudding into serving bowls.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/vegan-mango-pudding/

Maple Mille Crêpes Cake

 Ingredients
For crêpes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, then slightly cooled
4 large eggs
1 cup all bread flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Butter for the pan
For pasty cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon Scotch whiskey
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
To finish
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
Put the melted butter and eggs into a blender and blend until emulsified. Add the flour, milk, maple syrup and salt to the blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate overnight.
Heat a heavy bottomed 9” non-stick pan over medium low-heat until hot. Butter the pan, then use a paper towel to wipe out the extra butter. The surface of the pan should be slick but there shouldn’t be any pools of butter.
Add 2 tablespoons of batter to the center of the pan, and then quickly swirl the batter around to make a crêpe the size of the bottom of the pan. If the batter solidifies before you’re able to spread the batter out, your pan might be too hot. Try keeping the pan off the heat for a few second before you add the batter.
When the crêpe no longer appears wet on top it's ready to flip. Use the corner of a spatula to peel up an edge, and then carefully use your fingers and spatula to peel away and flip the crêpe. The edge of the crêpe should be dry enough that it shouldn't be too hot, but be careful not to burn yourself on the pan.
The crêpe should only need 15-20 seconds on the second side to cook through. Transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate (stack the crêpes on top of each other to prevent them from drying out), and then continue making the rest of the crêpes. If the non-stick coating on your pan isn’t damaged you shouldn’t need to butter the pan again, but if the crêpes start sticking to the pan, keep buttering the pan.
Make the custard while you wait for the crêpe to cool completely. Add the milk, eggs, maple syrup and cornstarch into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium low heat while string constantly until it thickens (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). Immediately remove the custard from the heat and then stir in the Scotch.
Let the custard cool completely. You can speed this up by placing the pot in a bowl of ice water and stirring the custard.
Whip the cream, and then add the powdered sugar when the cream starts holding soft peaks. Continue whipping until it holds firm peaks, but be careful not to over whip the cream or the fat will start to separate.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard using a spatula. If the pastry cream is loose, place it in the fridge to firm up.
To assemble the cake, put a crêpe down on a flat plate or serving platter, then spread an even layer of cream about the thickness of the crêpe. If you make the layer too thin, there won't be enough cream in the cake. If you make it too thick, the cake won't hold its shape when you go to cut it. There should be plenty of pasty cream, so don’t worry about running out, but don’t try to use it all.
Continue layering, saving the best-looking crêpe for the top layer. Once your cake is assembled, cover and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the moisture from the pasty cream to redistribute into the crêpes.
To finish the cake, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar on top of the cake in an even layer (passing it through a wire sieve makes this easier). Use a kitchen torch to brûlée the sugar. It’s important that you do this quickly otherwise the cream below will start melting. Hold the torch at a 90 degree angle to the top of the cake, then use a small circular motion working your way around the cake to evenly caramelize the sugar without burning the cake.
Slice and serve immediately.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/maple-mille-crepes-cake/

Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies

½ cup cocoa or 2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened baker's chocolate
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions
Melt butter with the cocoa or chocolate together in a heavy saucepan over medium low, whisking constantly till blended. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and walnuts. Mix well. Pour into a well buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares. These brownies are very fudgy and may be somewhat difficult to slice cleanly; use a sharp knife and a spatula to help them loosen from the baking dish.
Tips/Techniques
You will also need a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/katharine-hepburn-brownies/

Jack Daniels Brownie with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients
Ingredients for Brownies
Box brownie mix
1 cup Jack Daniels Whisky
1 - 2 eggs (if required)
2 tablespoons Vegetable/cooking oil (if required)
Ingredients for Caramel Sauce
1 quart Caramel Topping
2/3 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
2/3 cup Dried cranberries
1 cup canned peaches (drain the syrup)
Ingredients for Roasted Pecan topping
2 cups Pecan halves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg whites
Directions
Instructions for Brownies Prepare the brownie mix as per the directions on the the box. The only change will be to replace the amount of water in the recipe with Jack Daniels Whiskey.
Instructions for Caramel Sauce Pour the caramel topping in a bowl. Add the Jack Daniels Whiskey and dried cranberries and stir until well blended. Set aside.
Instructions for Roasted Pecan topping Mix two egg whites. Add ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ cup white sugar. Set aside. Place pecan halves in a bowl and cover them with the egg white mixture. Bake 20 minutes or until very barely crisp.
Final Assembly of Brownies Slightly heat ½ cup of the caramel sauce and pour into an individual serving bowl. Place the warm brownie slice on top of the caramel sauce. Garnish with roasted pecans and a fresh sprig of fresh mint. Finish with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/jack-daniels-brownie-with-caramel-sauce/

Huckleberry Parfait

Ingredients
Yogurt Mousse
¼ cup cream, to be warmed
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
½ each vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 cup cream, whipped to very soft peaks
Huckleberry Meringue
1 cup huckleberry puree (puree equal parts huckleberries and water, strain, reserve extra puree to mix with fresh huckleberries)
1/8 tablespoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup egg white powder
2 cups sugar
.5 tablespoon salt
Lemon Streusel
1 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups almond meal
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoon salt
1 each lemon zest
Directions
Yogurt Mousse: Combine first cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean in a pot.
Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let soften for 1 minute.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly with a heat resistant rubber spatula.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve into yogurt.
Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Gently fold whipped cream into yogurt mixture in three stages.
Pour approximately four ounces (1/2 cup) into each glass and let set in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
Huckleberry Meringue: Whisk together huckleberry puree, cream of tartar and egg white powder.
Place in stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Place sugar in a small pot and add enough water to create a wet sandy texture, making sure there are no sugar crystals on the sides of the pot.
Begin whipping huckleberry mixture on a slow speed.
Cook sugar to 242F(softball stage) on a candy thermometer.
Pour hot sugar into mixing bowl making sure to pour down the side of the bowl into the whipping huckleberry mixture.
Whip on medium high speed until stiff peaks are achieved.
Place meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round plain tip
Lemon Streusel: Combine all dry ingredients and lemon zest in a mixing bowl.
Add butter a little at a time, rubbing in until all butter has been mixed in.
Bake at 325F until golden brown, mixing every five minutes.
To assemble: Mix fresh huckleberries with a little puree so that they have a jammy appearance. Place an even layer on top of the mousse in the glass. Top with an even layer of lemon streusel. Then pipe a large dollop of meringue on top of the streusel and serve.

Page: http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/huckleberry-parfait/