KENTUCKY BOURBON-HONEY-WALNUT CAKE

Since there is just the two of us, this recipe makes a smaller cake but you can double the recipe for a larger bundt cake to feed a crowd.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 T brown sugar

½ cup honey

2 large eggs

Zest and juice of 1 large navel orange

1 ¾ cups pastry or all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

2 t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground cloves

¼ t ground allspice

¼ t ground ginger

½ t fine sea salt

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup strong hot coffee or espresso

3 T Maker’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a pudding mold (do not clip on top) or a loaf pan with butter and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

Add the honey, eggs, zest and orange juice and mix for 1 minute.

In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger. Stir in the salt and walnuts.

In a glass measuring cup, add the coffee and bourbon.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with coffee mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and baking in the center of the oven for 40 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a kitchen knife around the edges of the pan and remove cake to plate and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

FIVE CHEESE SWISS FONDUE

Fondue is a Swiss, Italian, and French dish of melted cheese in wine. It is made and served in a caquelon or fondue pot. It was promoted as a Swiss national dish in the 1930s.  I love Dutch Gouda and Edam cheeses and use one or the other in my fondue. 

Lee's Kitchen Tips: 
Gruyère is a hard yellow whole cow's milk cheese named after the French area of Switzerland known as Gruyères. 
Swiss Emmentaler another whole cow's milk cheese and is made in Emmental, Switzerland. 
Appenzeller is the top of the line and is also a whole cow's milk fruity cheese, also made in Switzerland. A good substitute for Appenzeller, if you cannot find it, is Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.

Gouda is named after the Dutch city of Gouda and is one of the oldest cheeses that is still made today.
Kirsch is a colorless, dry brandy. It is made from the fermented juice of black morello cherries.

Fontina is an Alpine cheese originating in Italy.

P.S. You can make the fondue with one or two of the above cheeses and it will still be delicious.

1 large clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

6 oz French or Swiss Gruyère cheese

6 oz Swiss Emmentaler cheese

6 oz Swiss Appenzeller cheese or Jarlsberg cheese

6 oz Dutch Gouda or Edam cheese
3 oz Italian Fontina 

2  cups dry white wine

2 T cornstarch

1 T fresh lemon juice

3 T kirsch brandy

¼ t nutmeg 

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of sea salt
Paprika for garnish, if desired

Rub fondue pot with the garlic clove and discard clove.

Grate the cheese with a box grater into a large bowl and set aside.

Add the wine to the fondue pot and heat until it starts to bubble.

Add the cornstarch and whisk to smooth out any lumps.

Slowly add the grated cheese, a handful at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the cheese is melted and the mixture is creamy and smooth.

This will take about 15 minutes.

Add lemon juice, brandy, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt.
Stir for another minute.

Sprinkle with paprika and serve with chunks of crusty bread, carrot sticks, sliced apples, and a green salad.

Serves 4

WARM STILTON & PEAR TARTLETS

This is one of the easiest and quickest appetizers you can put together. English Stilton cheese goes so well with pears, but you can use blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Cambozola, or even Brie. I bought frozen phyllo tartlet shells in a package of 15.

15 mini phyllo tartlet shells
2 oz English Stilton or blue cheese, cut into small chunks
1 ripe pear, cut into small pieces
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange tart shells on prepared pan.
Put a piece of cheese into each shell.
Sprinkle with a few pieces of pear, a few thyme leaves and drizzle with a small amount of honey.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese melts and tartlets are golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes.

SALMON CAKES

We went to the local fish market on the island and if you buy one-half salmon, you get the second half free. They were just brought off the boat by fishermen. We took them home, cut them into individual sizes, vacuum packed them and froze them. I took out two yesterday and made these delicious salmon cakes. 

1 lb center-cut salmon fillet

Avocado oil, for drizzling

Sea salt and finely ground black pepper

1 T unsalted butter

1 T avocado oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

½ red bell pepper, finely diced

2 t grated fresh ginger

¼ cup mayonnaise

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

1 cup panko crumbs, divided

1 t Dijon mustard
2 T minced fresh dill

2 T minced Italian parsley

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Avocado oil, for frying

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the salmon on a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet, skin side down.

Drizzle the top with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt and finely ground black pepper.

Roast for 15 minutes, until cooked.

Remove from oven and lift off of pan with a spatula, the skin should remain on the pan

Place on a plate and let cool then refrigerate until cold.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté the shallot and red bell pepper in the avocado oil and butter for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.

Add to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Add the ginger, mayonnaise, zest, lemon juice, half of the panko, Dijon, dill, parsley, and beaten eggs to the large bowl and stir to combine. 

Flake the chilled salmon into the bowl and gently mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

With slightly wet hands, shape the mixture into 6 patties.
Spread the rest of the panko onto a plate and coat the salmon cakes all over, patting down so the coating sticks to the cakes.

Using the same skillet you cooked the shallot and bell pepper in, fry patties in a small amount of oil for 4 to 5 minutes, on each side.

Serve with a dollop of Lemon Aioli or tartar sauce.

Lemon Aioli

½ cup mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 t Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 t minced parsley
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

Make this tasty appetizer for your family or friends. The addition of a thin jalapeño strip add a little kick but you can definitely leave it out. The bacon and the garlic infused melted butter are super delicious.

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied, and tails left on
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and cut into 12 thin strips, optional

6 bacon slices, I used applewood bacon

6 T unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, pressed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce

12 toothpicks, soaked in water for a couple of hours

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the shrimp and jalapeño and set aside.

Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and fitted with a rack and bake in the oven for 6 to 7 minutes, just to partially cook, render some of the fat, but not crisp up.

Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
When cool, cut bacon in half, crosswise.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt on the stove.
Add the pressed garlic and a couple of dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
Season with salt and pepper and very slowly simmer for 30 seconds to infuse the garlic.

Turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees F.

Open shrimp and place a strip of jalapeño inside and then wrap a half bacon strip around shrimp and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

Place on the same baking sheet lined with foil and fitted with a rack and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until bacon is brown and crisp.

Serves 4 

GRILLED CHICKEN MOLE

Grilled Chicken Mole is delicious served with Mexican Coleslaw and guacamole. You can also serve it with Spanish rice. Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. Guajillo chiles are dried mirasol chiles. . .both are delicious with chicken.

1 whole chicken, cut in half lengthwise and patted dry

Dry Rub

2 t of your favorite chile powder

2 t granulated garlic

½ t sea salt

½ t fine ground black pepper

1 t ground cumin

1 t onion powder

¼ t ground cinnamon

Place chicken on a platter and rub with the Dry Rub ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Mole Sauce

1 dried ancho or guajillo chile, chopped, stems and seeds discarded

1 T avocado oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1  jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3 T semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 t New Mexican chile powder
1 t ground ginger
½ t ground cinnamon
2 T tomato paste
2 to 3 chipotle peppers with sauce (freeze the rest)

½ t sea salt
½ t ground black pepper

½ cup toasted sliced almonds

½ cup chicken stock

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Place the chopped chile into a small bowl with ½ cup boiling water and set aside to rehydrate.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and jalapeno and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate and dry chile pepper.  Simmer 15 minutes.

Turn off heat and add the chocolate and stir until melted. Spoon mixture into a blender and add the chile and chile water.  Puree until smooth.

In a charcoal barbecue grill with some mesquite wood, grill chicken directly over coals for 2 minutes, to get grill marks. Move to the cooler side of the grill and cook 6 minutes on each side. 

Brush chicken some of the Mole Sauce and grill another 2 minutes on each side.

Pour the rest of the mole sauce into a bowl and sprinkle chicken with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4