A great way to incorporate different vegetables

and serve over rice or with mashed potatoes.

2 TBS VEGETABLE OR CANOLA OIL	2 TBS BUTTER – unsalted
6 CHICKEN THIGHS – skin on, bone in	SALT AND PEPPER
1 ½ CUPS CHOPPED ONION	3 TSPS CURRY POWDER – or more to taste
½ – 1 TSP CAYENNE	1 TSP CINNAMON – optional
1 TSP CUMIN 1 TSP TUMERIC 2 CARROTS – peeled, sliced diagonally 1/3 CUP HEAVY CREAM	1 ½ CUPS CHICKEN STOCK 1 CUP BROCCOLI FLORETS JASMINE or BASMATI RICE – for serving

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet and stir in butter and allow to melt.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook in hot oil, skin side down until golden brown. Turn over and continue to cook until golden brown. Remove to a plate and tent to keep warm.

Stir into the skillet onions and cook until tender. Stir in curry, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric and cook until you can smell the aroma of the spices.  Stir. Add carrots and toss to coat. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Add chicken thighs back into the skillet, stir in the broccoli florets. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes to further cook the chicken.

Stir in cream. Taste and adjust for seasonings.

Cook rice according to package directions. Serve the rice separately and pour chicken and juices overall.

NOTE: This dish works well with different vegetables so I will change it up and use what I have at hand. For instance, sometimes it could be zucchini and sometimes it can be cabbage. But I always try to incorporate carrots as they add a welcomed crunch. Just use the veggies the family enjoys.

BUON MANGIATA!

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Pinolata

Sienese Cream Cake

A perfect sweet for snack or dessert.

Filled with cream and topped with pine nuts.

Preheat oven to 330º

Grease and sugar bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan.

CAKE INGREDIENTS FOR 8-INCH CAKE:

3 EGGS	3 TBS BOILING WATER
½ CUP + 1 TSP 00 OR CAKE FLOUR*	2 TBS GRANULATED SUGAR
1/3 CUP + 1 TSP GRANULATED SUGAR	2 TBS BUTTER – unsalted
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE:

Break the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on medium speed slowly adding the teaspoons of boiling water, one at a time. This should give you a nice frothy mixture.

While still mixing, add the sugar and whisk again until frothy. Add the flour through a sifter or a sieve and delicately mix with a wooden spoon to get as much air into the mixture as possible. Add the vanilla and mix in well.

Butter an 8-inch cake mold and sprinkle it with a tablespoon of sugar, shaking the pan to make sure it all adheres to bottom and sides.

Pour in half of the mixture, cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer while you prepare the cream.

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM:

17 OZ WHOLE MILK	1 TSP VANILLA – or to taste
¼ TSP SALT	2 EGG YOLKS
¾ CUP GRANULATED SUGAR	4 TBS 00 OR CAKE FLOUR
2 TBS PINE NUTS – for sprinkling   ZEST FROM 1 LEMON

TO MAKE THE CREAM:

Bring the milk to a boil in a medium size saucepan then remove from the heat and add salt, lemon zest and vanilla.  Beat together the egg yolks and the sugar until frothy. Sift the flour and add it to the yolks/sugar mixture and mix well.

Add a few tablespoons of milk and mix well. Slowly add the remining milk and cook it over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

Transfer the cream to a piping bag and add the remaining cake mixture to another.

Remove the cake mold from the freezer and gently pipe the cream evenly on top of the frozen mixture.  Do the same with the remaining cake mixture, piping it evenly over the cream. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the pine nuts.

Bake 40-45 minutes. It is difficult to test with a cake tester because the middle is cream.  Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.  When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  If not serving immediately sprinkle with the sugar just before serving.

NOTE: You can use any flavoring you prefer in this cake such as almond or lemon. Additionally, vanilla beans work well, if you have them, in place of the vanilla extract.

Also, I find it easier to use an 8-inch springform pan since this cake is a little delicate. Piping the cream and the cake mixture makes the cake more airy and lighter.  But you can certainly spoon both on, if you wish, making sure you don’t pack down when smoothing.

In Italy it would be almost sinful to say that cake flour can be substituted for 00 flour as it will change the texture a bit.  However, if you can’t find 00 flour, cake flour is the next best thing.

BUON MANGIATA