Tortellini Salad

I am always trying to find more ways to get my husband to eat more vegetables.  It isn't that he doesn't like them, but it is easier to eat crackers or just a hamburger without any sides than to go to the troubles of adding vegetables to the mix.  I was reading through super natural every day by Heidi Swanson.  (Her 101cookbooks blog is excellent.)  I tried to pick out a couple of recipes which I could try out and even have my husband request again.  This recipe for Tortellini Salad was one of the recipes I made, and which he requested to eat again.  Fortunately, both broccoli and asparagus were fresh in the grocery store and so I happily got both.  I had been thinking about what to do with them both when I read this recipe again which contained both of the chosen ingredients.

This is a super simple recipe to prepare, and particularly when I am being a little lazy or don't have much time during the week.  I even went through some of the steps with my husband as I am always trying to find recipes which he will take up cooking so I can continue to experiment with more.

Tortellini Salad: adapted from super natural every day
about 16 oz fresh tortellini filled with cheese
12 thin asparagus spears (cut into 1.5-2 inch pieces)
1 small crown of broccoli (more if you really like broccoli)
1-2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1/4 cup good quality olive oil

fresh parsley (equivalent to about 1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped)
1/3 cup pine nuts - roasted
1 medium avocado

Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions.  About a minute before the tortellini is done, add the broccoli and asparagus to quick cook them.  Drain everything and place under cold water to stop the cooking.  Make the dressing: press the garlic and mix with a little salt,  add lemon juice and olive oil.  Whisk together.

When ready to serve, toss the tortellini, broccoli, asparagus, and parsley with the dressing.  Add the pine nuts and avocado.  Toss gently to mix ingredients.

Serves: about 4

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Pear Pastry Cream Tart

I came across a bunch of pears which weren't going to be eaten.  It is my nature to use up everything and let as little go to waste as I can.  When I came into these Comice pears which were starting to die a slow rotting death, I had to take them and turn them into something wonderful.  I couldn't find a recipe which I wanted to make.  I read through cookbooks and decided to piece meal them into something else...a pear pastry cream tart.  I made a basic tart crust and baked it.  Then I made a creamy pastry cream to coat the beautifully baked crust.  Then, I topped it with lovely slices of pears to cover the pastry cream.  Finally, I added a light glaze as a final touch.

Short Crust Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices and work into the flour until the pieces are small and it is beginning to hold together.  Combine water and vanilla and work it into the flour mixture.  Put it into a ball and refrigerate.  Let rest for 30 minutes.  Press into a 9 inch tart pan.  Place the shell into the freezer for 30 minutes prior to baking (wrapped in foil).  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown and baked through.

Pastry Cream:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
6 tablespoons vanilla sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat milk to just under boiling.  Mix the flour and sugar in a heat saucepan.  Beat egg yolks until thick and light colored.  Whisk the hot milk until the flour and sugar mixture and cook over medium heat until the mixture has boiled for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Whisk a little of the mixture into the eggs to heat them a little and stir into the flour mixture.  Mix well and cook over medium heat until the pastry begins to hold shape, stirring continuously.   The temperature should reach 170 F.  Do not let it boil.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.  Strain through a fine strainer.  Cool and whisk occasionally to keep a crust from forming or cover with plastic and refrigerate until cool.  Whisk before pouring into the baked shell to smooth, but do not over whisk or it will thin out. 

Poached Pears:
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups water
2 inch piece of vanilla bean
1 1/2 pound pears
2 tablespoon apricot jam

Bring the sugar, water and vanilla bean to a boil in a sauce pan.  Quarter, core and peel the pears and add them to the hot syrup.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pears are cooked through.  Remove from syrup and place on a plate to chill them..

To assemble:  Spread the pastry cream in the bottom of the baked shell.  Drain the pears and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Beginning from the outside place the pears in a circle, over lapping the edges. Continue until the pears cover the pastry cream.  Heat the jam until it bubbles and brush lightly over the pears.

Chinese - Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken
 
I am not a big fan of Chinese food...well not the traditional American Chinese take-away which seems to take 30 seconds to make and doesn't capture the flavors which you can experience in Hong Kong (as Hong Kong food is closer than other traditional Chinese flavors to American Chinese take-away).  However, my husband is a BIG fan of Chinese food and would eat it every week.  So the compromise was for me to find some traditional Chinese food which I could make at home relatively easily and which we would both like to eat.

I found both of these things in Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low.  This recipe for Kung Pao Chicken is adapted from the recipe in this book, which also contains wonderful recipes for dim sum of which I need to try out.  If you have never eaten dim sum, I encourage you to try it out for a brunch some Saturday or Sunday morning as it is quick and delicious bite sized food in a variety of flavors.

Kung Pao Chicken comes from the Sichuan area of China.  It is known for food which is spicy which can be tempered by rice if you so desire.  I didn't eat Kung Pao Chicken when I was in China, but I had some other Sichuan food which was spicy and filling.  This recipe serves two with only 8oz of chicken.  I like to double the chicken as it is so tender I don't want to stop eating it.  However, this does not reheat very well as the peanuts become chewy and the onions wilted.  Note: I use an electric wok to cook with as the temperature is much higher than using the stove regardless of whether it is electric or gas.  The wok heats up quickly and efficiently and everything cooks much better than on the stove top.

Kung Pao Chicken
16 oz. Chicken, boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoons sherry
3 tablespoons cornstarch (really I make sure that the chicken has been covered lightly)
4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons sichuan peppercorn oil (made from soaking sichuan peppercorns in oil)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
About 2 inches of ginger, peeled and sliced thin
30 dried chiles
peanuts (raw or slightly baked to make more crunchy)
2-3 green onions, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

Sauce:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
pepper (white is better, but I use black when I don't have white on hand)
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:
(Be sure you have put the rice on before beginning to stir fry the chicken.)  Tenderize chicken before beginning, if you desire.  Marinate the chicken with sherry (or rice wine) and cornstarch for about 10 minutes.  Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.  Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok and stir fry the chicken until they are half-cooked.  Remove from wok and set aside.  Heat remaining peanut oil and peppercorn oil.  Add garlic and ginger, stirring quickly.  Add the chiles until you smell the spicy aroma of the chile peppers (don't breathe in too much!)  Return chicken to the wok and stir with spatula.  Add the sauce and stir until chicken is well coated.  Stir in peanuts and green onions until everything is well combined.  Serve immediately with rice.  Serves 2-4 large portions.


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Oranges with Red Chile

Oranges with Red Chile

I have been neglecting my more consistent posting since I started my new job last year.  With a 75 mile one way commute, all of my time has now been taken up by spending much more time than I was used to in my car.  Fortunately, I am up on the news, have "read" to many new books on tape, and renewed my interest in listening to new and old musicians and bands alike.  What has suffered though is my time to enjoy my cooking.  However, I have made some more simplistic things including this delicious, yet simple oranges with red chile.

This recipe is adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark.  This is an easy preparation using a variety of oranges is best, but I only had on had navel oranges.  I do love blood oranges, but at the time I couldn't find any.  They have a delicious sweet, yet tartness to them which would have complimented the flavors well.  Since oranges are still in season, I encourage you to try your hand at this variation to eating plain, sweet oranges.

Oranges with Red Chile
2-3 large oranges (I used navel, but blood orange or a combination would be excecellent)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky salt
Chile powder (I used Aleppo pepper)
Fresh herbs (which I did not have on hand so didn't use)

Method:
Cut off peal of the oranges.  If you cut top and bottom off first, you can stand the orange on end and slice off the peel from the sides and create the geometric shape you see here.  You want all the pith to be removed from the outside of the orange.  Slice into about 1/4 inch slices.

Spread orange slices onto a plate, and then drizzle them with olive oil (make sure it is of good quality).  Sprinkle with flaky salt.  (I used a flaky sea salt.)  Dust with chile powder and serve.

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Karelian Rice Pies (Finnish)

Karelian Rice Pasties (karjalanpiirakat)

These delicious pies were an experience the first time I visited Finland in 2004.  My friend took me to a farmer's market, and she bought one for me to try.  The traditional version has rice in the middle, but you can also make them with a potato filling.  The last time I was in Finland, I discovered that you could buy them in the grocery store.  Though not quite as good as the memory of the first time I tried them, they were also pretty good.

 I loved them from the first bite, but never ventured to make them until now.  I had heard they were difficult to make and time consuming.  When I read through the ingredient list, I realized they needed very few ingredients to make them....basically water, salt, flour, milk, rice, and butter.  Really it isn't very many ingredients, but the way they are cooked that makes everything so delicious.  The simpleness of the ingredients would lead you to believe that it cannot be all that great, but it reminds me of sourdough bread which again has few ingredients, but creates a product so delicious!

While these little, wonderful pastries are so good, it does take some time to prepare the rice filling.  The rest of the process is relatively quick.  Give them a try!

Karelian Rice Pasties (adapted from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas)

Makes 16 pasties

Dough:
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups rye flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

 Rice Filling:
1 cup water
3 cups milk
1/2 cup rice
salt and butter to taste

Glaze:
1 cup milk, heated to boiling
1/4 cup butter

Start the rice filling first.  Combine the water, milk and rice in a heavy saucepan.  Simmer for an hour or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.  Add salt and butter to taste.

While the filling is cooking, prepare the pastry.  Mix together the water, salt, and two flours.  Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter.  Cut into 16 pieces.  Shape each piece into a flat round disc about 6 inches in diameter.

 Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper.  (Prevents a mess and makes transferring the pies easy.) Preheat over to 500F.

Fill the center of each circles with rice filling and fold over the edges of each pastry.  Place pies on prepared baking sheets.  Prepare the glaze.  Brush the glaze on each of the pies and bake for about 8 minutes, or until bubbling.  Remove from oven and glaze again.  Return to the oven until the pasties are golden brown.  Remove and brush one last time with the glaze.  Serve cooled.  In the morning you can reheat them in the toaster.

Chocolate Babka

Chocolate babka....I don't remember where I first read about it, but I do remember when I first tasted it.  It was almost Christmas one year and I was out running errands.  I wanted to buy some fresh bread because back in those days I was afraid of yeast since I had disastrous results when trying to use yeast.  I was in love with a sunflower bread that I discovered at one of the bakeries near my university.  So I stopped in the bakery, and every day during the week they would bake a specialty bread and that day was chocolate babka.  Oh, how I love chocolate and I remember the days when I was first introduced to nutella so I could eat chocolate and bread every day.  I remember in the summers during middle school where I would live off of chocolate and toast.  But this day in the bakery where two of my favorite things to eat came together, I was in love.

Eventually, I got over my fear of yeast, but I don't know why I never tried to bake a chocolate babka before now.  The scent of the bread and chocolate is still wafting through my house.  The loaves are left on my counter waiting to be eaten.  Now my task has been completed, and I will have chocolate babka for the next few days though my idea had been first to have it for Easter.  I may even freeze one for guests who will be coming soon.

Chocolate Babka
1 1/2 cups warm milk, 110 -115 degrees
2 (1/4 ounce each) packages active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups plus a pinch of sugar
3 whole large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature, plus more for bowl and loaf pans
2 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped*
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Pour warm milk (from 110-115F) into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and pinch of sugar over milk; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  While the yeast is developing, in a small bowl whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and egg yolks.  After the yeast mixture is frothy, add the egg mixture to yeast mixture, and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour and salt whisk quickly and then add the egg and yeast mixture.  Mix until flour has been incorporated.  Use the dough hook and add 2 sticks room temperature butter, and mix until flour mixture and butter are completely incorporated, and a smooth, soft dough that’s slightly sticky is formed, about 8-10 minutes.

Pour out the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead to renew tension in the dough.  Place in a buttered bowl (large enough for it to double).  Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot.  I use the oven at about 75-80F.  This should take about an hour.

Place chocolate, remaining 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Cut in remaining 1 1/2 sticks butter until well combined; set filling aside.  Grease three loaf pans (9x5inches).  Beat the last egg with 1 tablespoon cream and set aside.

Once the dough has double in size, punch it down and transfer to a lightly-floured surface. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Keep 2 pieces covered with plastic wrap while working with the remaining piece. On floured surface, roll dough out into a 16-inch square; it should be 1/8 inch thick.

Use 1/3 of the chocolate mixture and spread onto the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch border. Brush the edge with egg wash and then roll up the dough.  Pinch the dough together to seal it along the seam and ends.  Twist the dough about 5 times.  Brush the top with more egg wash and crumble 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate mixture on half of the loaf.  Fold the half without the chocolate crumb over the other half and again pinch together edges and then twist the dough once or twice.  Place dough into prepared pan and repeat with the next two pieces of dough.

Heat oven to 350F. Brush the top of each loaf with egg wash.  Loosely cover each pan with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place 20 to 30 minutes.  Bake leaves for about 50 minutes at 350F.  Then lower the temperature to 325Fand bake the remaining 20 minutes until the loaves are a deep golden brown.   Remove from oven and cool on racks.  Loaves will freeze well for one month.

Homemade Granola - Chocolate, Cherry and Pecan

This is another wonderful recipe from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark.  Not only do the flavors go well together, but the granola ends up crunchy, with a slight taste of salt and sweet to it all.  Since I have made this granola even my fiance has been eating it and not eating his usual cereal.  I have a desire to change up some of the items to experiment and try other flavor combinations, but it will just have to wait.  I have already made a second batch and we still cannot stop eating it by the handful.

 It is sweet and savory at the same time and you too will not be able to stop munching on these delicious treats for breakfast...or snacking....or anytime really.  Who really can resist chocolate and cherry together?

Homemade Chocolate, Cherry and Pecan Granola
3 cups oats (not quick cooking)
1 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup chocolate chips (more if you like it very chocolately)
1/2 pure maple syrup
1/2 virgin coconut oil
1/3 packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 300F.  Mix all of the ingredients, except cherries.  Pour onto a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 40- 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Removed from oven and let cool.  Add a few more chocolate chips if desired.  When cool add the chopped cherries and mix.

I have made this with hazelnuts, almonds and apricots as well.  Mix it up depending on your tastes.