Oh Dairy day - Cheese

It's a Fromage Blanc or Farmer's Cheese recipe... Hmmm... Cheeeeeeesy!!!

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh, local whole milk

1 cup active-culture buttermilk

2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar, more if needed (The lemon juice will give a ricotta taste to your cheese)

3/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBPYopcoeqs&feature=player_embedded

My version and experiment...

My 1st try was really an experiment. There was no measure or anything. Just skim milk and lemon juice. I actually got a cheese, but the texture and taste remind me Ricotta. Yeah! It was everything, but creamy, but I blame the skim milk... At least healthier than the plan A. Oh! And about time, it doesn't exactly matters. You may check your "product" with a fork. When you feel it's a lot or enough cheese, just put everything in a cheesecloth and let it drain. What did I do? I made the batch, left it on the counter and went for a walk with Mike. When we came back I checked and all the miracle was done. I left it drain while we were watching TV and that's it. Cheeeeeeeesy!!! :P

Experiement #2...

I had 1/2 cup of buttermilk from the butter recipe in the fridge then I put it in a bowl and left on the counter till it become lukewarm. Add 2 cups of skim milk and 1 teaspoon of vinegar.

Oh Dairy day - Butter + Buttermilk

Nothing could be easier or yummy. With any kind of 35% whipping cream (or fatter), you may make 2 "impossible to believe" things: Butter and buttermilk.

Get a glass container that you can close really well. Put the cream inside and shake it. That's it. The time? It probably took about 10 minutes, I would bet less. I was watching Youtube videos so I can tell for sure, but I promise, next time I make it I will pay more attention.

Anyways, you will shake with certain cadence and suddenly you will feel something heavier inside the glass and also will see the cream is not attaching to the glass as it was before.

Oh! And suggestion... As any butter it gets hard when it goes to the fridge. So, when you decide to use it, leave it on lukewarm for a few minutes and it will go back to the creamy texture.

I got the idea from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oropJD0CUxI&feature=related

But I also strongly suggest this one, where you can see a more fancy way to do the same thing and another recipe as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIu695u_FxM&playnext_from=TL&videos=4UrN6rabORE

P.S. After you choose a recipe, you can also add any extra flavour to your butter. It could be oregano or granted carrots. Enjoy!

Rancho Open-Faced Sandwich

1/2 cup of seeded and diced tomato
1/2 cup of chopped avocado
1/4 cup of sliced green onion
1/2 tsp of chipotle-flavoured hot sauce
2 cups of whisked eggs
4 English muffins, toasted
Sour cream

Combine the tomato with avocado, green onions and hot sauce; reserve. Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Pour the eggs into the skillet; swirl the skillet to distribute evenly. Cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes or until the bottom begins to set. Stir the eggs, breaking up any large pieces with the edge of a spatula, for 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs are set. Divide the scrambled eggs evenly between the English muffins; top with reserved fresh salsa mixture and garnish with sour cream (if using).

A Real Chocolate Coffee Cake

1 xícara de margarina derretida
3 xícaras de açúcar
1 xícara de chocolate em pó
2 xícaras de café pronto
4 xícaras de farinha de trigo
1 colher de sopa rasa de fermento em pó
4 ovos (separados gemas e claras)

Bata as gemas, a margarina e o açúcar até ficar um creme claro. Adicione o chocolate em pó e o café, acrescente a farinha de trigo e o fermento em pó, bata bem. Por último, acrescente as claras em neve e misture delicadamente. Leve ao forno para assar em forma untada por 30 minutos.

Marble Cakes... Many options

MARBLE CAKE 1

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
* 10 T. (140 grams) unsalted butter, softened
* 3/4 c. sugar (135 grams)
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 2/3 c. (185 grams) all purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
* 2-3 T. milk, divided
* 1/4 c. cocoa powder (15 grams)
Preparation:
Cream butter, sugar and salt together for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and one egg. Beat well. Mix in second egg. Sift flour with baking powder. Add flour in three parts, alternating with 1 tablespoon of milk each time (2 tablespoons of milk used). Adjust consistency. Batter should be slightly thinner than brownie batter but thicker than regular cake batter. Divide batter equally into two bowls. Sift cocoa over the batter in one bowl and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of milk to cocoa batter to thin. Butter and flour your form, or use baking spray. Place mounds of batter, checkerboard-style, in the form or pan. Alternate light and dark. If you are using a bundt form or gugelhupf form like in the picture, make at least two layers. Place a spatula vertically in the batter and draw it around the form once to swirl. Smooth the top. Place the cake in an oven heated to 350°F. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out cleanly. Remove from oven, cool slightly and then turn out on a cake rack to cool further. Dust with powdered sugar. Serving this cake with whipped cream never hurt anyone's feelings, but it's great plain, too.

German/Austian Marble Cake
1 c. sweet butter (do not substitute)
1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. half-and-half or milk if you prefer
1 tsp. almond extract
3 1/4 (three and one-fourth) c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder

Pin. of salt or 1/8 tsp.
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 10-in. tube pan and set aside. Beat the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs first and then add the milk and almond extract mixing well. In a bowl, with a wire whisk stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the dry mixture into the creamed mix until combined. Remove half of the batter to a bowl and stir the cocoa and rum. Alternate large globs of the white and chocolate batter around the tube pan, then gently swirl the two batters together. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 mins. (depending on your oven) or until it pulls away slightly from the sides of pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
NOTE: I like to take some melted bittersweet chocolate and lightly drizzle it over the top.

German Marble Cake


Ingredients

* 1 cup butter
* 1 3/4 cups sugar
* 5 egg yolks
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup milk
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 5 egg whites
* 2 tablespoons sweet cocoa

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Continue beating for 10 minutes.
3. Gradually stir in flour, alternating with splashes of milk, until all of the flour and milk are mixed in. Stir in baking powder.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites. Fold egg whites into batter.
5. Reserve 1/4 of the batter, and pour the rest into a greased, floured tube pan.
6. Mix cocoa into the remaining 1/4 of the batter. Then turn into tube pan, and fold under with a fork to produce a marbled appearance.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.