Chef in the House
Indoor Picnic Dinner
Strawberry Tiramisu
Yield: 8 servings1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup plus 4 Tablespoons Cointreau or other orange liqueur, divided
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 pound fresh strawberries, divided
52 (about) crisp ladyfingers (Boudois or Savoiardi)
Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup Cointreau, and orange juice in a 2-cup measuring cup. Place mascarpone cheese and 2 Tablespoons Cointreau in a large bowl, fold just to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla and 2 teaspoons Cointreau in another large bowl to soft peaks. Stir in 1/4 of whipping cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
Hull and slice half of strawberries. Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom of 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over preserve mixture to cover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese mixture over. Arrange sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice remaining strawberries. Arrange over tiramisu and serve.
Cheese Straws
Yield: 14 straws, serving 61 sheet (9x9 1/2 inches) frozen commercial puff pastry, thawed on the counter 10 minutes
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Adjust the oven racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. lay the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place another sheet of parchment on top of the cheese, and using a rolling pin, press the cheese into the dough by gently rolling the pin back and forth. Without moving the parchment. carefully flip the dough over, cheese side down. remove the top layer of parchment and sprinkle with remaining cheese, salt and pepper. cover the pastry with the top layer of parchment.
Remove the top layer of parchment and using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 14 - 3/4 inch strips. Gently twist each strip of dough and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake immediately until puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Remove the straws from the oven and cool 5 minutes before serving.
Oven-Fried Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Yield: serves 4
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/2 inches
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 box (5oz) plain Melba toast, ground to a sand and pebble texture in a food processor
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 split chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on 8-10 oz each, skin removed
2 medium scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin
5 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained, dried and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and the lowest positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack, and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/3 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
Toss the Melba crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder in a shallow dish.
Whisk the eggs with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and the thyme in another shallow dish. Using tongs, dip a chicken piece into the egg mixture and press the crumbs into it with your fingers. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a second baking sheet lined with foil.
Spread the potatoes on the preheated baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and place the chicken on the upper rack. Bake for 20 minutes, shaking the pan of potatoes occasionally. Switch the potatoes to the top rack and the chicken to the bottom rack; continue to cook until the chicken is a deep brown and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes longer. Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard, scallions, and roasted red peppers. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
