Yes, this is another recipe from the book I can't stop cooking from, French: Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy by Clements & Wolf-Cohen. I used to make these with my French classes on culture/cooking days (the reason half the students chose my class was to get to to these days lol). I was in a bit of a hurry this time around and attempted cooking two batches at once on the two racks of the oven, switching between the two every few minutes. While they did turn out tasty, I think they didn't quite puff up the way they should have done. Anyhow, they were still very yummy and will make again for sure :) Also forgot to get a plated pic, so this will have to do for now:
Ingredients:
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (you can also use almonds or hazelnuts, if preferred)
2 T. superfine sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 pound puff pastry, defrosted if frozen (according to package directions)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions:
1. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets, preferably non-stick.
2. Add walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon to food processor. Process until finely ground and combined. Transfer half to a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle work surface with superfine sugar. Roll out the pastry onto surface, sprinkle sugar on pastry, and use rolling pin to roll to approximately 20" x 8" rectangle (mine was more like 18" x 8").
4. Brush pastry with lightly beaten egg, then sprinkle with the half of nut mixture in bowl.
5. Fold the long edges of the pastry to meet in the center and flatten with rolling pin. Brush with egg and sprinkle with most of remaining half of nut mixture.
6. Fold the edges in again to meet in center, brush with remaining egg and sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. (Now that I am typing up the recipe, I realize I missed this step. Oops.)
7. Fold one side of the pastry over the other. Using a sharp knife, cut pastry into 3/8" thick slices and place pieces cut-side down, about 1 " apart, on baking sheets.
8. Spread pastry edges to form a wedge shape, if desired (I didn't, thus mine aren't quite so pretty). Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.
9. Heat oven to 425°F. Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove and turn pastries over, then return to oven to bake for 4-5 additional minutes. They should get golden brown on each side and puff up nicely--just watch carefully so that they do not burn, as the sugar can easily scorch.
10. Transfer immediately to cooling rack. Once cooled, enjoy!
09 February 2016
08 February 2016
Fricassée de Poulet
I think I'm going to end up cooking half of this cookbook at the rate I'm going lol. This is another recipe from French: Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy by Clements & Wolf-Cohen. It's a really tasty dish, though not quite as amazing as some of the others I've tried. Still, I would happily make this again. The nice thing is that I had nearly all of the ingredients already on hand--only had to go get some cippolini (small onions).
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (I chose to use all drumsticks, as that is what I had on hand)
4 T. butter, divided
2 T. canola oil
3 T. flour
1 c. dry white wine (I used a Vouvray this time; next time, I will try a Chardonnay)
2 c. chicken stock (I used my homemade version)
1 c. chicken broth (original recipe calls for 3 c. of this instead of the split I have here)
bouquet garni (used thyme, rosemary, and 1 bay leaf)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 oz. button mushrooms, stems trimmed (I would use more next time)
1 tsp. lemon juice
16-24 cipollini (little onions--could substitute pearl onions), peeled
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
6 T. heavy cream
salt, to taste
fresh or dried parsley, to taste
Instructions:
1. Dry chicken pieces with paper towels. Melt half of butter over medium heat in Dutch oven, and then add oil. Add half of chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned lightly all over. Transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat for remaining chicken pieces.
2. Return chicken pieces to pot. Sprinkle flour over pieces and turn to coat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Pour in the wine, increase heat to bring to a boil, and then add the broth. Stir to combine, scraping bottom of pot to free any browned bits.
4. Bring liquid to boil, add the bouquet garni, salt, and pepper. Return to medium heat, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice. Cook for around 4 minutes, until mushrooms are golden/browned, stirring occasionally.
6. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add the onions, water, and sugar to the pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for around 10 minutes; the water will gone and onions will be caramelized.
7. Add onions to bowl with mushrooms. Once the chicken has finished cooking, transfer the pieces to a plate and remove/discard bouquet garni. Add the mushrooms and onions to the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for around 10-15 minutes, until sauce is reduced by 1/3 to 1/2.
8. Stir in cream and cook for 2 minutes. Return chicken to pot and cook for additional 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and add parsley. Serve up and enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (I chose to use all drumsticks, as that is what I had on hand)
4 T. butter, divided
2 T. canola oil
3 T. flour
1 c. dry white wine (I used a Vouvray this time; next time, I will try a Chardonnay)
2 c. chicken stock (I used my homemade version)
1 c. chicken broth (original recipe calls for 3 c. of this instead of the split I have here)
bouquet garni (used thyme, rosemary, and 1 bay leaf)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 oz. button mushrooms, stems trimmed (I would use more next time)
1 tsp. lemon juice
16-24 cipollini (little onions--could substitute pearl onions), peeled
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
6 T. heavy cream
salt, to taste
fresh or dried parsley, to taste
Instructions:
1. Dry chicken pieces with paper towels. Melt half of butter over medium heat in Dutch oven, and then add oil. Add half of chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned lightly all over. Transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat for remaining chicken pieces.
2. Return chicken pieces to pot. Sprinkle flour over pieces and turn to coat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Bring liquid to boil, add the bouquet garni, salt, and pepper. Return to medium heat, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice. Cook for around 4 minutes, until mushrooms are golden/browned, stirring occasionally.
6. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add the onions, water, and sugar to the pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for around 10 minutes; the water will gone and onions will be caramelized.
7. Add onions to bowl with mushrooms. Once the chicken has finished cooking, transfer the pieces to a plate and remove/discard bouquet garni. Add the mushrooms and onions to the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for around 10-15 minutes, until sauce is reduced by 1/3 to 1/2.
8. Stir in cream and cook for 2 minutes. Return chicken to pot and cook for additional 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and add parsley. Serve up and enjoy!
05 February 2016
Crêpes!
In honor of the French tradition (la chandeleur), I actually made these on the 2nd of February, but just now posting them. I'd attempted some 'quick crêpes' in a past post, yet did not really care for the recipe I used back then. This time, I listened to the advice of my fellow French teachers in a discussion group to which I belong and this recipe was the one voted as easy and successful every time used:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/crepes-recipe.html
I completely agree--this recipe is just right! I used it with both savory and dessert fillings, tasted great both ways. This is a keeper :)
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 c. milk (I used 2%)
1/2 c. water
1 c. flour
3 T. melted butter, plus additional for pan/cooking the crêpes
Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse for 10 seconds (I used the 'low' blend setting on mine).
2. Refrigerate batter for at least 1 hour (48 at most).
3. Heat a non-stick medium skillet (10") over slightly higher than medium heat (note to self: 4 1/2 on my stove). Melt a small amount of butter (like a 1/2 tsp.? didn't measure) in pan and swirl around. Pour in a small amount of crêpe batter (making a circle that is about 4" or so in diameter) and immediately tilt pan to swirl batter all over (you want this to be very thin and as evenly spread as possible--it takes a little practice. No pic here because this step has to happen very quickly.)
4. Cook crêpe for about 30 seconds; you should see edges browning and possibly curling up very slightly. Flip crêpe to other side and cook for additional 15-30 seconds. Immediately transfer to plate and add desired filling. (You can roll it up, fold it over, or however you like to display it--going to be eaten within moments anyhow, right? :))
5. Enjoy! (one filled with Nutella is shown here)
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http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/crepes-recipe.html
I completely agree--this recipe is just right! I used it with both savory and dessert fillings, tasted great both ways. This is a keeper :)
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 c. milk (I used 2%)
1/2 c. water
1 c. flour
3 T. melted butter, plus additional for pan/cooking the crêpes
Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse for 10 seconds (I used the 'low' blend setting on mine).
2. Refrigerate batter for at least 1 hour (48 at most).
3. Heat a non-stick medium skillet (10") over slightly higher than medium heat (note to self: 4 1/2 on my stove). Melt a small amount of butter (like a 1/2 tsp.? didn't measure) in pan and swirl around. Pour in a small amount of crêpe batter (making a circle that is about 4" or so in diameter) and immediately tilt pan to swirl batter all over (you want this to be very thin and as evenly spread as possible--it takes a little practice. No pic here because this step has to happen very quickly.)
4. Cook crêpe for about 30 seconds; you should see edges browning and possibly curling up very slightly. Flip crêpe to other side and cook for additional 15-30 seconds. Immediately transfer to plate and add desired filling. (You can roll it up, fold it over, or however you like to display it--going to be eaten within moments anyhow, right? :))
5. Enjoy! (one filled with Nutella is shown here)
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Roquefort Sauce
I adore Roquefort cheese; my family does not, thus I rarely make recipes that have it (despite a very high desire to do so). Since everyone can fill their crêpes with whatever they prefer, I decided to attempt a Roquefort sauce for my savory ones this time. I adapted a recipe a bit and it turned out very tasty; however, it needed just a little something else. I shall add some chopped walnuts or sliced mushrooms next time, think that would go well. The amounts are in metric, as that is how I measured them as well.
Adapted and translated from:
Ingredients:
30 g unsalted butter
20 g all-purpose flour
250 mL milk (2%)
pepper, to taste
2 T. crème fraîche
60 g Roquefort cheese, crumbled
shredded Gruyère, to taste
Instructions:
1. Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add flour and whisk to combine.
2. Slowly whisk in milk, then add pepper to taste. Bring to simmer, then simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Whisk in crème fraîche and Roquefort cheese.
4. Spread topping on crêpes and add desired amount of Gruyère (and any other desired toppings). Enjoy!
04 February 2016
Pistachio Financiers
In all my travels in France, I've actually never tried these before. I came across the recipe while looking for something to make with pistachios. They are so cute and not too difficult to make :)
Link to original recipe: https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Pistachio-Financiers/
Link to original recipe: https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Pistachio-Financiers/
Recipe below contains my modifications.
Ingredients:
1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pan
1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 egg whites
1/2 c. finely ground pistachios
2 T. ground almonds/almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
Instructions:
1. Butter financier molds (or, as I used in this case, a 24-cup mini muffin pan) and dust with flour.
2. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook without stirring until butter starts to brown, about 5 minutes (watch carefully, it only needs to be barely brown). Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, salt, and egg whites.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients on list until combined.
5. Add cooled butter and stir in until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Heat oven to 350°F. Dip batter into molds, approximately 1 heaping tsp. for each. Bake for 16 minutes.
7. After removing from oven, immediately transfer cakes out of molds and onto cooling racks. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pan
1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 egg whites
1/2 c. finely ground pistachios
2 T. ground almonds/almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
Instructions:
1. Butter financier molds (or, as I used in this case, a 24-cup mini muffin pan) and dust with flour.
2. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook without stirring until butter starts to brown, about 5 minutes (watch carefully, it only needs to be barely brown). Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, salt, and egg whites.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients on list until combined.
5. Add cooled butter and stir in until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Heat oven to 350°F. Dip batter into molds, approximately 1 heaping tsp. for each. Bake for 16 minutes.
7. After removing from oven, immediately transfer cakes out of molds and onto cooling racks. Enjoy!
03 February 2016
Braised Oxtail Ragù
This recipe is very tasty, but I don't know that I could say it is my favorite for oxtail. It just seems to need a little something more. And I made the mistake of serving it over regular pasta instead of egg noodles, which I do not think helped. Still, it's good overall, worth making again to see if I can tweak it to get that extra depth it seems to need.
Original recipe here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-braised-oxtail-ragu-recipes-from-the-kitchn-111644
Ingredients:
4-5 lbs. oxtail
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour, for dredging
1/4 c. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped (I did all three together in the food processor)
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3 c. dry red wine
2 rosemary sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 300°F. (If you are a slow cook like me, you can wait until step 4 or so to do this.)
2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper to taste, then dredge in flour. Tap off excess flour.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add meat and brown on all sides, around 8-10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.
4. Reduce heat slightly and add chopped onion/carrot/celery mix to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly browned, around 5-7 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and let boil for 5 minutes.
6. Return meat to pot. If liquid level is not covering meat, add water or beef broth to raise to covering level (I added broth, but not much). Remove from hat, cover pot, and transfer to oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours.
7. Remove bones from meat and remove fresh herb remnants, discard. Stir sauce to break up meat and combine. Serve sauce over egg noodles or big pasta noodles, such a rigatoni (pictured below). Enjoy :)
Original recipe here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-braised-oxtail-ragu-recipes-from-the-kitchn-111644
Ingredients:
4-5 lbs. oxtail
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour, for dredging
1/4 c. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped (I did all three together in the food processor)
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3 c. dry red wine
2 rosemary sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 300°F. (If you are a slow cook like me, you can wait until step 4 or so to do this.)
2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper to taste, then dredge in flour. Tap off excess flour.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add meat and brown on all sides, around 8-10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.
4. Reduce heat slightly and add chopped onion/carrot/celery mix to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly browned, around 5-7 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and let boil for 5 minutes.
6. Return meat to pot. If liquid level is not covering meat, add water or beef broth to raise to covering level (I added broth, but not much). Remove from hat, cover pot, and transfer to oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours.
7. Remove bones from meat and remove fresh herb remnants, discard. Stir sauce to break up meat and combine. Serve sauce over egg noodles or big pasta noodles, such a rigatoni (pictured below). Enjoy :)
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