Troubled Treats (20 page)

4-6 ounces pasta, cooked (we like spaghetti noodles, but wide egg noodles work great, too)

4 cups chicken broth

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped basil

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on a medium setting.  While that is warming, in another smaller pot cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until it is al dente.  Add the chopped carrots to the olive oil, sautéing until the carrots begin to soften.  Next, add the broth, the cut-up chicken, and the basil, and simmer for ten minutes.  Once the pasta is finished, add it to the simmering mixture and take off the heat immediately.  Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

Makes four servings

LEMON CRUSH DONUTS

In my household, lemon is always in fashion.  There’s something about the taste of it when it’s mixed into a donut recipe that makes the treats spring to life for us.  When we make these donuts, freshly squeezed and grated lemon is a real must.  I love the smell as I grate a little of the peel for this recipe, and sometimes I simmer the leftover pulp in some water on the stovetop to infuse the kitchen with those zesty aromas.  These donuts aren’t exactly gorgeous, but they are tasty, so what’s not to like?  As I’ve said before, in my home, there are five things that count about the food we serve here: taste, taste, taste, taste, and appearance.  The trick?  Number five doesn’t count!

Ingredients

Dry

1 cup flour, unbleached all purpose

1 teaspoon, baking powder

1/4 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

1 dash salt

Wet

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

Directions

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt until it is all thoroughly incorporated.  In another bowl, mix the whole milk, sugar, butter, egg, lemon juice, and the vanilla bean seeds together.  Mix well, and then slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet until they are combined, being careful not to over-mix, as this could cause denser donuts. 

Bake these donuts in a 375°F oven or in your donut maker for 6-8 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack.  You can make a simple lemon glaze using melted sugar, lemon juice, and a little grated lemon peel, or dust them immediately with powdered confectioners’ sugar.

Yields 8-10 donuts.

ANOTHER QUICK DONUT MIX, THIS ONE WITH LEMON

I don’t always feel like making a regular donut mix when I’m in a hurry for a quick treat, so I love to experiment with augmenting mixes that come prepackaged.  One thing I’ve done lately is grab a lemon cake mix off the shelf of my pantry and convert the ingredients into some excellent donut batter.  This recipe can be baked or deep-fried, depending on the final consistency you like your batter.  For a more cake-like texture, just reduce the amount of milk you use.  A great deal of this is accomplished playing it by ear, something I know many folks are afraid to do when they’re baking.  I say throw caution to the wind and have some fun.  The worst thing that happens is your creation is a complete and utter failure, something that has happened to me in the past more times than I can count.

At the very least, you’ll get a funny story out of it!

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 16 ounces of a lemon cake mix (we like Krusteaz lemon pound cake mix, but any mix is worth trying)

3/4 cup whole milk

10 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, the milk, melted butter, lemon juice, and grated lemon peel, mixing until moistened.

Bake these donuts in a 375°F oven or in your donut maker for 6-8 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack.  You can make a simple lemon glaze using melted sugar, lemon juice, and a little grated lemon peel, or dust them immediately with powdered confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 5-9 donuts, depending on baking method.

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