Archive for the 'savory' Category

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Homemade Soft Pretzels

February 15, 2011

Okay, I know what you’re thinking.  Why post a recipe for a perfectly fitting Superbowl snack, something that you could have easily wowed friends with, two weeks after the Superbowl?  For one, I made these on Superbowl day.  A little scheduling mishap…sorry about that.  (But they were a hit at my Superbowl potluck!  No, really, I’m sorry.).  But secondly, there are a lot of great sports that these pretzels would be appropriate for!  The aforementioned college basketball, for one – I hear that March Madness is coming up.  And isn’t baseball supposed to start soon?  But anyway, sports have no business being in this conversation because these soft pretzels are just so yummy that you won’t even need a sporting event to justify making them!

Oh, wait.  You’re saying that that wasn’t all that you were thinking?  You’re also thinking that who in their right mind would even attempt to make soft pretzels at home?  Who would go to the trouble of rolling little balls of dough into long, snake-like pieces just to twist them again in these weird shapes that never look quite the way they’re supposed to?  Especially when you can buy perfectly acceptable soft pretzels at your local mall.

Well, friends.  I have wonderful news for you.  These are a breeze to make!  You have to believe me!  Remember…I’m afraid of yeast!  There is usually a ban on yeast in my person kitchen!  And yet, the dough worked beautifully again – just like the last time I ventured into yeast-land!  As for the twisting, you can honestly make these any shape you like!  These babies, they’re about the taste (notice the picture where I just cut the long strips of dough into cute little soft pretzel bites!).  Homemade soft pretzels are out of this world.  These are no-need-to-host-a-Superbowl-party-just-make-for-yourself-on-a-Tuesday-night good.  Yep.

Homemade Soft Pretzels (original recipe from Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

6 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes, until yeast is foamy. Add the water/yeast along with the oil, sugar, salt and flour to a bowl and mix.  Transfer to a floured surface and knead until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, but very smooth. Place dough in a large oiled bowl, and let rise, covered, for 1 hour, until doubled.

Punch the dough down to release air, and divide the dough into 12 equal shapes and form them into small balls. Cover and let them rest for 15 minutes. Roll them into 18 to 20″ length rope-like pieces and form them into pretzel shapes, or pretzel bites, if desired.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the pretzels to rise for 1/2 hour.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large pot, bring the baking soda and water to a boil. Add the pretzels one at a time to the boiling water for 1 minute, flipping midway.  Remove and place on a cooling rack. When cooled, transfer each pretzel to a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until dark brown.

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Brazilian Cheese Bread

November 29, 2010

I love that cookies have their own season.  There is Halloween season, and then there is  Thanksgiving, and then all of a sudden, you realize that it’s cookie season!  The best time of the year, hands down.

I do think that it gets to be a bit overwhelming to see all of the cookie recipes on TV shows and magazine covers and dropped in your inbox daily (yes, I have a weakness).  You get recipes for traditional cookies, cookies with a modern twist, rolled out cookies, drop cookies, gingerbread houses, mini pies, everyyything!  It’s overwhelming and hard to choose just several to make during the season.  And that’s exactly why I’m posting a recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread!

Don’t be disappointed.  Seriously, you’re going to thank me for this one.  By the time you’re attending your third holiday party, while still planning on hosting your own, you are going to be craving something salty and savory.  Something that you can nosh on while wrapping presents, and even add to your holiday party spread.  It’s a recipe perfect for the season.

Plus.  There’s a bonus: they’re delicious AND easy.  They are this cheesy, chewy goodness that are so addictive that you will find yourself eating the whole batch within 2 hours of baking them.  Trust me.  I know.  And it’s all made in a blender!  It looks like a popover, but without the hollow center.  Because that center is taken up by the cheesy, chewy deliciousness.  Do I need to say it again?  Cheesy, chewy, yum.  And a brilliant contrast to the cookies that are about to bombard you.  And I’ll partake in that bombarding – coming soon!

Brazilian Cheese Bread (original recipe from here)

Tapioca flour is a necessary ingredient in this recipe – this is what makes the bread so chewy.  You will easily be able to find it at a specialty grocery store.  You can use any cheese you want for this bread, but I have only tried it with queso fresco, which is, undeniably, amazing.  The last thing: I’ve heard that the authentic version is a bit more salty than the recipe calls for.  I have tried this recipe with 1 teaspoon of salt, as well as 2.  I like it much better with the former, but this will depend on your own taste…and the saltiness level of the cheese you use.

Ingredients

1 egg, room temperature

1/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cups tapioca flour

1/2 cup queso fresco, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the muffin tin onto a baking sheet.

2. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Fill the muffin tins to the top with batter.

3. Place cookie sheet with muffin tin into the oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.  Eat while warm or reheat later.

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Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Basil, and Goat Cheese Quiche

October 22, 2010

Does it feel like Fall to all of you?  Yes, there are the pumpkin patches inviting everyone to make jack-o-lanterns.  And yes, pie recipes are featured in every cooking magazine.  And sure, you can feel the holiday season approaching.  But where I am, it’s 75 degrees.  The leaves are, well, green.  And wearing boots makes me feel a bit overheated.

I need the fall weather!  I need the crisp air and the chilly mornings and the smell of snow approaching.  I need that!  Mostly to justify making comforting fall foods.  Soup is calling my name!  I’ve had chili ingredients for a couple of weeks.  Sweet potatoes must be roasted.

So I did what anyone would do in this situation.  I pretended.  I turned on the AC and made what I believe is one of the coziest foods of the season: quiche.  Okay, arguably, quiche is summer food.  But let’s discuss.  A cheesy, savory, egg-based cream custard baked at high temperatures that you eat while still piping hot!  How can this be summer food??  Sure, it can use fresh herbs and vegetables that may only be available in the summer time, but quiche is cold-weather food at heart.  Believe it.

With this said, I used fresh basil and tomatoes in my quiche.  But, I had an excuse: I had a lovely gift of a a mixed herb bouquet with extremely fresh green and opal basil, so I had to use one of the greatest flavor combinations in history: tomato, basil, and goat cheese.  I am predicting that the thermostat will inspire more fall-like foods…and hoping that the outside temperatures will soon catch up.

Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Quiche (adapted from every tomato-basil-goat cheese recipe that I’ve found)

This quiche is infinitely adaptable to anything that is readily available.  I used a store-bought crust for an extremely quick meal, but the crust used in the fig galette would be quite scrumptious with this filling.  Just press into a tart pan and omit the sugar.

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1 tbsp. olive oil

4-5 basil leaves, sliced thinly

1 tomato, sliced

4 ounces herbed or plain goat cheese, crumbled

6 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup 2% milk

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, shredded

salt and pepper, to taste

1 nine inch store bought or homemade crust

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a pan over medium-low heat and add olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add onions and slowly saute them until caramelized and light brown in color, about 20 minutes.  Add salt, to taste, and set aside.

2. Spread the onions onto the bottom of the crust.  Sprinkle basil leaves and goat cheese evenly over onions.  Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of the filling.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Carefully pour the egg mixture into crust. Sprinkle parmesan on top of the egg mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Turn the oven up to 425.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes until the filling is set and browned on top.  Let rest and cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Posted in pies and tarts, savory, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

Baked Rice Balls

August 11, 2010

I apologize for the delay with this post.  I know I promised you a recipe with the leftover sushi rice, and you are probably thinking that your sushi rice is over a week old now.  But the truth is, I didn’t post because I wasn’t inspired by the name of this recipe.  I mean, “baked rice balls”.  That’s what is going to motivate you run into your kitchen and start pulling things out of your fridge?  That name was going to make you believe that if you make these, you are going to have delicious goodness coming from your oven?  And to top it all off, this is the only picture I have from the prep.  Appetizing.

I wasn’t convinced, and don’t really think that you should be either.

But believe this.  These little goblets of starchy, seasoned rice, with a surprise bite of smoked cheese inside are the best, most delightful, certainly the most delicious savory snack that has come out of my kitchen since…well, ever.  You should be walking, no running to your kitchen right now to get these started.  They’re that good.  And if this doesn’t convince you, well, then, the name will have to do.  Your choice.

Baked Rice Balls (adapted from Giada De Laurentis)

The original recipe was to use up leftover risotto.  Feel free to use that as the rice base, omitting all of the seasoning.  And play around with the cheeses – smoked cheese just happens to be one of my favorites.  Also, the original recipe was for frying.  I don’t do that – mostly because I don’t know how.  So I’ve adapted the recipe for the oven.  Like all things that are supposed to be fried and are baked instead, I’m assuming that these do not have as much crunch as their fried original.  But, my gosh, they are tasty.  So give this method a whirl.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2  cups cooked and cooled sushi rice or short-grain rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • sprinkling of red pepper flakes – to taste
  • 1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • 4 ounces smoked mozzarella, at room temperature, cut into 10 1/2-inch) cubes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 420.

Breading: Put the bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the sushi rice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and eggs. With damp hands, using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture, form the mixture into 1 3/4-inch diameter balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball and insert a cube of smoked mozzarella. Cover up the hole to completely enclose the cheese. Roll the balls in the breading to coat.

Line a baking pan with olive oil.  Put the prepared balls in the baking sheet, making sure that they are all fully covered with the oil.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown, making sure to turn the balls mid way through the baking.

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Sushi. It’s what’s for dinner?

August 2, 2010

There are certain foods that I just will not attempt making.  It’s not really about the ambition or time commitment – it’s just mostly me getting the, “If I can get this at the store perfectly made, then why bother making it at home?” kind of feeling.  ..Hm, okay.  I guess it’s all about the ambition and time commitment.  Or lack thereof.

But, really, let’s put this into perspective.  Would you really want to make puff pastry at home?  Sure, you may think about it, but the supermarket-freezer-kind is quite tasty.  Or croissants?  C’mon.  Let’s leave that to the French.  But here’s the most controversial one.  Sushi.

I know that a lot of you out there make sushi at home – and even prefer doing that than getting store-bought.  But I’ve always been a skeptic.  Maybe it is the seaweed.  Or the rolling.  Or the rolling of the seaweed.  Regardless, despite my objections, we attempted sushi for dinner the other night.

We made the rolls without a sushi mat, which resulted in some frustrating moments, during which I eyed the box of cereal for dinner.  But as soon as we were able to fit all of our desired fillings in the roll, making sushi wasn’t that bad.  It was quite tasty.  It’s certainly a quick meal for one, and not even that ambitious!  Now, onto the croissants!

Sushi, My Style.  Which may not be the best style.  But give it a try, eh? (makes 2 rolls)

Ingredients

1 cup dry sushi rice

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 sheets nori

Assorted veggies (I used sliced cucumbers, bell pepper, avocado, shitakes, and baked tofu)

Soy sauce

Wasabi (optional)

Pickled Ginger (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare rice as indicated on the package.  When ready, mix with 2 tbsp. of rice vinegar.

2. Spread half of the rice on to one sheet of nori.  Pat down until an even layer is formed to the ends of the sheet.

3. One one end of the sheet, length-wise, layer veggies.

4. Start rolling the nori, encompassing all of the fillings in one, tight roll.

5. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Whatever will you do with all that leftover sushi rice?  Check back for the next post!

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