RECIPE PROJECT 2016: TAMALES

Boiled the red peppers and then pureed and ran through sifter.

I decided to tackle red (and green) pork chile tamales.

Used hot water to soften the corn husks

Here is the masa being spread on the husks

Adding the red chili/pork



Steaming the tamales. I placed a wet cloth in the center to ensure the tamales weren't burnt. Every ten minutes I added water to the pot.

TaDa!

The process to make tamales isn't hard but it is time consuming and tedious. This isn't something you want to tackle for only a few tamales. I made about 20-24 tamales both red chile pork and green chile.

I made the masa using bacon fat which really added to the flavor. 



RECIPE PROJECT #10 : ARABIC FALAFEL

Dried garbanzo beans

Must be soaked at least 24 hours

Grind it up with garlic, cardamom, onion, and parsley

Make into balls

Fry for about six minutes

I was watching this guy on YouTube who travels all over the world trying all sorts of food (see Mark Wiens, Migrationology). He was in Jordan and kept talking about falafels and so I thought I would give it a try.

Falafel is ground garbanzo beans (aka chic peas) that are deep fried. The flavoring is very Arabic and something I have never tried before.

I found a recipe online to try and here are pictures from the adventure.

I think I would have liked this better without the parsley flavor. I just don't like parsley and it really overpowered the dish.
Would I make this again? No, it just wasn't for me but you might be interested!

2016 Recipe Project #9: Southern Cuisine

Hubby asked me to help him with a good, Southern dinner and I agreed to be the sous chef.

Recipe for black eyed peas

onions, celery, and bell pepper sauteed in bacon fat.

Thyme and Bay leaves added to the crock pot for 12 hours of cooking.  The beans were soaked the previous day as prep work.

Hubby prepping the collards before cooking for two hours with a smoked ham hock.

Finished collards just before adding the shredded ham hock.

Cooking bacon just to obtain the bacon fat for the skillet baked cornbread.

This was very delcious!

Baked ham, green bean casserole, cornbread, collards, black eyed peas.


I was surprised about how much I enjoyed the the collards with the shredded ham hock. Could I be turning Southern?


*On a side note- I am watching me dog smell his own farts and then run away.

August Recipe 2016: Bone Broth

I slathered ghee all over the body of this gorgeous chicken

She thought I was just giving her  a massage...

Carcass plus onions, carrots, salt and pepper simmering for 20 hours









 

Here is the finished product. I took one to work for a meal and then froze the rest for future use.

 

I'm not really sure of the source for broth or stock but I don't think many of us know about the rich nutrients of bone broth.

 

What is bone broth? It is just like making stock but you simmer the stock for up to 24 hours for chicken and 48 hours for beef bones. Dr. Fung suggests using it as a meal replacement during fast periods which I attempted. I must admit that drinking it plain was a little hard but I was filled by about 8 ounces.

This is a much richer base for soups or if you are making rice and the nutrients are explosive! The next time you make stock- cook it longer and then hold onto your flavor hat! What, you don't have a flavor hat? Hmmm....

 

Recipe here

RECIPE PROJECT 2016 #7: English American

Hubby and I had watched a television show where this this restaurant made the biggest (and most delicious looking) popovers I had ever seen! I did a little research and discovered that popovers are the Americanized version of English York pudding!

The recipe is super easy and if you are looking to impress- then this is the recipe for you!

Here is a link to the recipe.

Make sure to fill them to the top- don't listen to the recipe when it comes to that.

Pop!

 

Over!

Just for kicks and giggles, I made this recipe a second time. I changed the black pepper to Italian seasoning and then filled the popover with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese!

 

RECIPE PROJECT 2016 #6: GERMAN

I have always wanted to make spaetzle and decided to bite the flour and attempt this! I don't have a set recipe- I kind of just perused recipes online and picked one that seemed to make the most sense for me.

Mixing everything together

Pretty thick batter... I wonder if I should have added more water.

Forcing the dough through the colander

Well, that's an interesting picture.

Boil for about 3 minutes

Lest it rest in cold water to stop cooking

Add back to skillet with seasoning and lots of butter!

Mixed with sausages, onions, and peppers!

RECIPE PROJECT 2016 #5: ASIAN INSPIRED

I couldn't really list this as Mongolian but it is called Mongolian Beef and I picked up the recipe from Simply Ming.

Ingredients

All ingredients A-Z

2 heads broccoli, florets, stems peeled and julienned
1 pound flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 bunch scallions, save 1/4 cup greens for garnish
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sambal
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
1 red bell peppers, sliced
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons oyster or veggie oyster sauce 

 Serve with 2 cups cooked jasmine rice

Directions

1. Make the marinade by combining the garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, scallion whites, sambal, 1/4 cup canola oil and black pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Place meat and enough marinade to cover in a container. Turn to coat. Marinate in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight turning occasionally.

2. Heat the wok over high heat. Add the remaining canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the beef and flash fry, about 15 seconds, leaving it rare. Strain and set aside.

3. In the same wok, add a little oil, onions and broccoli stems, stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Then add the cabbage and broccoli florets and toss. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add beef, peppers and oyster sauce. Toss and heat through, about 2 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

5. Transfer the beef mixture to a serving platter or large pasta bowl. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with scallion greens. Serve with a side of rice.




It is important to marinate the full 24 hours so the flank stank is tender



Vegetables were cooked in increments

Final product with jasmine rice!

What did I think about this dish? It was very good and the beef really has so many layers of flavor due to the marinade.

What would I change? I would use less ginger and add more spice, garlic, and soy sauce. 

Do I plan to make this recipe again? Yes, this is something  I will make in the future because Hubby and I like Asian flavors and the marinated flank steak is delicious. I actually hope all of you try this- with or without the rice!

Recipe Project 2016 # 4: French

I enjoy Food Wishes and frequent the blog and YouTube videos for the chef's fantastic recipes.
Easter Sunday was very quiet due to Hubby's surgery and having to stay home as he recovered. It was just going to be the two of us so I opted to purchase ham and then found this easy recipe for French rolls.

I enjoyed reading a short history of French bread here.

Mine don't look as smooth and round as the chef's....

It came out a bit hard...

But it was still delicious!

Recipe Project 2016 # 3: Italy

Can we say yum?

This recipe is from the television show Cook's Country and is a take on pasta stuffed with ricotta dish.

Spinach Fusili/Rotini

Ingredients

·         12 oz ricotta cheese

·         3 tbsp olive oil

·         1 box fusilli or rotini pasta (16 oz)

·         1 bag baby spinach (~8 oz)

·         4 garlic cloves, minced

·         1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

·         1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

·         1/4 cup heavy cream

·         zest from 1 lemon

·         juice from 1/2 of the same lemon

·         1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

·         salt and pepper

Directions

1.      Whisk 1 cup ricotta, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth. You may need to add a little more olive oil to get a smooth consistency; set aside.

2.      Cook pasta according to the box (be sure to add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water when it starts boiling) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Stir spinach into pot with pasta and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain pasta and spinach and return them to pot.

3.      As the pasta cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, nutmeg, and cayenne in saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining ricotta, heavy cream, lemon zest and juice, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth.

4.      Add ricotta-cream mixture from step 3 and parmesan to pasta and toss to combine. Let pasta rest, tossing frequently, until sauce has thickened slightly and coats pasta, 2 to 4 minutes, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve the pasta in a wide bowl or plate and add a dollop of the ricotta from step 1. Pass the extra Parmesan separately.

How I changed the recipe and made it easier:
I removed: olive oil, lemon, and nutment.
I increased: spiniach, salt, ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
I mixed all of the ingredients together outside of the pasta, spinach and parmesan in one bowl and then added all of that to the drained pasta/spinach. I waited two minutes and then added the parmesan cheese.

 

My opinion on the dish:
This is a very rich and succulent dish that would probably work better as a side dish than a main meal unless you are planning to lie on the couch in a semi-comatose state while watching reruns of the Love Boat. Also, you might not want to make a whole loaf of French bread on the side.....this can bring about a full coma with drool and everything.

2016 Recipe Project #2: Czech

 

Kolache

Dough:

1  Cup  Whole Milk

10  Tablespoons  Butter, melted

1  large Egg

2  large Egg Yolks, whites reserved

3-1/2  Cups  Flour

1/3  Cup  Sugar

2-1/4  teaspoons  Rapid-Rise Yeast or instant yeast

1-1/2  teaspoons  Salt 

 

Cheese Filling:

6  ounces  Cream Cheese, softened

3  Tablespoons  Sugar

1  Tablespoon  Flour

1/2  teaspoon  Lemon Zest

3/4  Cup  Ricotta Cheese  (whole milk or part-skim;  NOT nonfat)       

 

Streusel:

2  Tablespoons -plus- 2 teaspoons  Flour

2  Tablespoons -plus- 2 teaspoons  Sugar

1  Tablespoon  Butter, chilled and cut into 8 pieces

 

Reserved Egg Whites, beaten with 1 Tablespoon Milk

 

For the Dough:

Grease a large bowl, set aside.  Whisk the Milk, Melted Butter, Egg, and Yolks together in a 2-cup measuring cup (the Butter will form lumps).  Whisk the Flour, Sugar, Yeast, and Salt together in the bowl of stand mixer.  Fit mixer with the dough hook, add Milk mixture to the Flour mixture, and knead on low speed until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.  Increase speed to medium and knead until dough clears the sides of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom of the bowl, about 8 to 12 minutes.  If the dough hasn't cleared the bowl after 12 minutes, add more Flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, up to 2 Tablespoons.

 

Transfer dough to greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.  Place dough on the lower-middle rack and place a loaf pan on the upper-middle rack.  Pour 3 cups Boiling Water into loaf pan, close oven door, and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

 

For the Cheese Filling:

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat the Cream Cheese, Sugar, Flour, and Lemon Zest on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add Ricotta Cheese and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

 For the Streusel:

Combine the Flour, Sugar, and Butter in a small bowl and rub between your fingers until mixture resembles wet sand.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

 To Bake the Kolaches: 

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Punch down Dough and place on a lightly floured surface.  Divide Dough into quarters and cut each quarter into 4 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a smooth, tight ball.  Arrange 8 balls on each baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Place the baking sheets in the oven, replace the water in the loaf pan with 3 cup Boiling Water, close oven door and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

 

Remove baking sheets and loaf pan from oven.  Heat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour the bottom of a 1/3-cup measure (or a 2-1/4-inch-diameter drinking glass).  Make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball by slowly pressing until cup touches sheet.  The perimeter of the dough balls will deflate slightly.

 

Gently brush the Kolaches all over with the Egg-Milk mixture.  Spoon filling into the Kolaches, about 1-1/2 Tablespoons per Kolache.  Sprinkle with Streusel.  Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Let cool on pan for 20 minutes.  Serve warm.  Makes 16 Kolache.

 

This recipe was based off of  the television show Cook's Country.

I made this recipe twice and I had problems with the dough rising using the oven and boiling water method mentioned above. The second time, I placed the dough on top of the oven, turned on the oven and opened the door to let the heat rise which seemed to work better.  Did I like them? Yes, but they tasted better to me after the second day but  I am not quite sure why. Would I make these again? I am not sure. I might use the dough for hot dogs/sausage but I would need a day off like I had during this cooking event.  It is a time consuming baking event and you would need to be home and watching the clock/setting timers and such.

This was the first batched that flopped or did something weird.

The dough with beef snuggled inside.

Yes, they were yummy for my tummy!