Soft Pretzels

Originally published on January 27, 2014

I just love soft pretzels. I typically reserve them for hockey games, when you get them out of that warming stand piping hot, and dunk them in mustard until it’s falling down onto your fingers. But now that I no longer live just down the road from the arena, my craving has gone unfulfilled. Until now, anyway.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees, just above body temp.)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt 
1 package dry active yeast
4 – 5 cups all-purpose flour 
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
10 cups water, for boiling
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk 
1 tablespoon water
Coarse pretzel salt

Directions:

1.) Combine the egg yolk with the one tablespoon of water and beat lightly.

2.) Combine the water and sugar in a very large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for about five minutes, until the yeast starts to foam. Then add four cups of the flour, the cooled melted butter, and the salt. Mix slowly, allowing all the ingredients to incorporate with each other. Then, begin to beat the mixture in the bowl with a wooden spoon by mixing very quickly and really working the dough. Do this for four or five minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If you need to, add more flour to make it smooth and firm, adding only half a cup of flour at a time. (You can also do this in a stand mixer, but until I can save up enough for one, I get my bicep workout in while I do this step.)

3.) Place a small amount of vegetable oil in a separate, larger bowl, and then place in the dough. Turn to completely cover it in oil, cover with plastic wrap, and then allow it to sit in a warm spot for 50 to 55 minutes, until it has doubled in size.

4.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

5.) Combine the baking soda with the ten cups of water and bring to a rolling boil.

6.) While the water is coming to a boil, turn out the dough onto a work surface that’s been lightly dusted with flour. Roll out each piece of dough into a rope that’s 15 – 20 inches long. Be sure to make the ropes the same length so the pretzels are the same size when you cook them.

7.) One by one, make a U-shape with the ropes. Take the top of one, and bend into a loop, placing it at the bottom corner of the same side, pressing slightly so that the dough stays in place. Then, with the other end of the U-shape, place it through the loop you’ve made on the other side, and then over to the other side of the dough (now the two loops should be connected in the middle of the pretzel.) Once again, press the other side down lightly so it will stay in place. As each pretzel is finished being shaped, place it onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

8.) When the water is boiling, gently drop the pretzels in one by one, and allow it to boil for about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or a large spider to remove them from the water, and place back on the baking sheet. Allow to air dry for just a minute before brushing the top of each pretzel with the egg yolk/water mixture, and sprinkle on the coarse salt.

9.) When all pretzels are boiled and brushed with the egg wash, place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are golden brown and crisp on top.

10.) Remove from the oven and allow them to rest for at least five minutes before serving.

11.) Serve and enjoy!

Egg Rolls

Originally published on January 28, 2014

I’ve given you the recipes for chips and dip and soft pretzels to get you ready for the Super Bowl, and today I bring you crispy, greasy, delicious egg rolls. (Although they really don’t have to be greasy if you bake them like I did.) These are so good, I get requests for them before any holiday party we throw and from friends we’ve known for years whenever they come back from out-of-province to visit.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar 
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying 
1 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced 
4 carrots, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
Salt 
Pepper 
1 pound ground pork
6 scallions, thinly sliced 
16 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1.) Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of oil and bring to temperature. Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until they are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2.) Increase heat to high and add pork and soy sauce mixture. Place into the skillet with the pork and toss, until meat is no longer pink and the liquid has nearly completely evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the scallions and then move entire mixture onto a plate and set aside to cool.

3.) When pork mixture has cooled enough to handle, start assembling egg rolls. Place 3 or 4 egg roll wrappers down on a work surface, and place a damp towel over the remaining wrappers to keep them from drying out. Place about 1/3 cup of pork mixture into the centre of each. Brush each border of each egg roll with egg. Fold the point closest to you up and over the pork mixture, tucking in the filling underneath. Fold both both end sides up to the centre of the egg roll, and then tightly roll up the rest of the egg roll. Keep pressing under the pork mixture to ensure a tight seal, and then gently press down on the seal to keep it from opening during cooking.

4.) In a Dutch oven filled with the frying oil, or in a deep fryer, heat remaining oil to a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When oil reaches the temperature, drop egg rolls in, starting with about 4. Cook for about 2 minutes, turning once, until egg rolls are golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. (These can also be baked without losing anything in the way of crispiness or taste. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they are golden brown. They can also be frozen, and baked from frozen for about 15 minutes.)

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Perfect Coleslaw

Originally published on January 30, 2014

If you’ve read some of my past posts, you know that I’ve long since been on the hunt for the perfect coleslaw. Now I’m here, happy to tell you, I’ve gotten it. This one is a little creamy, a little vinegary, is big on crunch, and my kids love it, so it’s a great way to get some veggies into those that are picky. I find that grating the vegetables on a mandolin gives you those tiny slivers you’re looking for, and also cuts the time down by about half.

Ingredients:

1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded 
2 shallots, shredded or finely grated
1 cup parsley, finely minced
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 teaspoon celery seed
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Make the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, honey, horseradish, celery seed, salt, and pepper.

2.) Place cabbage, carrots, shallots, and parsley in a large bowl and pour dressing over. Mix to thoroughly combine all ingredients. Place in fridge and allow to sit for at least one hour, to marry all the flavours. Can be kept in the fridge, covered, for three to four days.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Tarte Tatin

Originally published on February 4, 2014

I don’t even know when I first saw a tarte tatin. I know it was on a cooking show, and I remember being in awe that this somewhat ugly giant piece of crust could be flipped over to reveal gorgeous caramel apples underneath. The fact that you build this dessert in the dish you cook it in, and of course that dramatic flip at the very end all make this one of the very most fabulous desserts that’s ever come out of my kitchen. And while that flip is dramatic, don’t be scared. Take a deep breath, go in with confidence, and then be amazed at just how awesome you are!

Ingredients:

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
1 pie crust, chilled and uncooked
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, roll out dough to about ten inches, and place in the fridge until ready to use.

2.) Place the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and stir in the sugar. Stir regularly, and don’t worry if it clumps or is grainy for the first few minutes. Just keep stirring and it will form into golden syrupy goodness. Bring the sauce up to a soft boil.

3.) Add the apples to the sauce and cook until the sauce becomes even darker in colour, nearly amber. Turn the apples regularly in the sauce to ensure that they are completely coated in the sauce. This should take about 15 minutes, but take it off the heat a few minutes early if your sauce starts to look too dark. If you’re unsure, drop a bit onto a plate and if it holds its shape, you know the sauce is done.

4.) With the pan off the heat, use tongs to arrange apples. They should form concentric circles with the “backs,” or rounded parts of the apple touching the bottom of the pan. Take the pie crust out of the fridge and place over top. Tuck the edges of the crust into the pan using a fork and being very careful not to touch that piping hot caramel sauce. Prick the entire surface of the crust with a fork.

5.) Place the entire thing in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust has turned golden brown.

6.) Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to sit and cool for about 20 minutes. While it is still very hot, run a knife around the outer edges to help prevent sticking when it comes time for the big flip.

7.) When ready, take a deep breath and find something very sturdy that will fit over the entire surface of the cast iron skillet (a pie plate or a cutting board work just fine.) Fit over top, put on oven mitts (tea towels won’t cut it here), and take both the pie plate and skillet in your hands. In one quick motion, flip them so that the cast iron skillet is on top, and the pie plate is on the bottom. Lightly bang the entire thing down on the counter to loosen any bits that are still stuck to the skillet.

8.) Gently remove the skillet and while still warm, rearrange any apples that didn’t quite behave and stay in their own place. Then, breathe a sigh of relief and be proud that you’ve just mastered the tarte tatin!

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Pork Schnitzel

Originally published on February 8, 2014

I fell in love with schnitzel many moons ago. We served it at a gourmet cafe that I worked at, although we served veal instead of pork. I have to admit, I was adamantly against eating veal when I first started working there. Ya know, the whole forcing baby animals to be practically immobile thing. But, I’m shamed to say, the veal schnitzel we made look so darned good, and I’d stare longingly at it in the pan every time an order came in. One day, when my resolve was weak and an especially tasty-looking shipment of veal came in, I gave in. On my lunch hour that day, I ordered the veal and quietly took it downstairs to eat in the lunchroom, shrouded in shame.

When I was done, I realized there was no going back after you’ve gone against your own resolve – and I’ve been happily eating veal ever since. If I could get my husband to eat it, we would have had veal schnitzel here instead of pork. And while I believe this recipe is typically made with pork chops, tenderloin is what I had in my fridge, so that’s what was used.

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
Salt
Pepper 
1 egg, beaten 
2 tablespoons milk 
3/4 cup bread crumbs 
1 teaspoon paprika 
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup chicken stock 
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.) Slice the tenderloin into 1″ rounds. One by one, place each round between two sheets of plastic wrap and with a rolling pin or a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness of about 1/8″ – super thin.

2.) Set up a breading station with three bowls. In the first bowl place the flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl place the egg and milk beaten together slightly, and in the third bowl place the bread crumbs and paprika.

3.) One by one, dip a portion of the meat into the flour, coating thoroughly and then shaking off excess. Place right into the egg mixture, entirely coating the meat, and then allow excess to drip off. Place into the bread crumb mixture, coat entirely, and shake off excess. Place schnitzel aside, and then continue with the remaining pieces of meat.

4.) When all meat has been breaded, place oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When heat, add schnitzel into the pan, being sure not to overcrowd them; work in batches if you have to. Cook the schnitzel for about three minutes on one side, then flip and cook for about two more minutes. When pieces have finished cooking, set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.

5.) With the skillet still hot, add chicken stock and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down, and add in sour cream and dill. Stir to heat through, but make sure the mixture does not come to a boil.

6.) Arrange schnitzel on a platter and drizzle the sour cream sauce over top.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Spatzle

Originally published on February 8, 2014

Let’s take a minute to talk about spatzle. If you’ve had it before, and maybe even if you haven’t, you know it’s a German egg noodle that’s got sort of a funky shape on your plate. Sometimes it’s long and straight, other times it’s smaller and full of curves and twists. This smaller version is the one that I first tried when I had my first bite of spatzle so long ago, and that was the one I fell in love with. I warn you though. This is not an easy recipe. To make the dough, a stand mixer is ideal. If you’re like me and don’t have one though, don’t think you can whip this one up with a wooden spoon. I tried, and it’s next to impossible. I ended up throwing the batch into my food processor and letting that do most of the hard mixing for me. That worked and I thought that I was on a bit of a spatzle-roll, and then I tried to actually boil it. Without a spatzle-maker. Ugh.

Spatzle-makers look very similar to a ricer, but the holes on the spatzle-maker are quite bigger. If you don’t have a spatzle-maker, it can still be done (see picture above,) but it is much more difficult. You can use a number of things including a colander with large holes (which is what I chose,) or a steamer that can fit over a large pot. The idea is that you want to push the dough through holes of some kind, so that they form noodle-like shapes when boiled. If you’re not using a spatzle-maker,you’ll need to push the dough through your device with a wooden spoon. It’s not impossible, and it is worth it, especially if you serve delicious pork schnitzel to go with it.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated 
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk 
1 large onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place the flour, salt and nutmeg into a food processor and pulse just to combine. In a separate bowl beat the eggs lightly, and then add milk. Pour this combination straight into the food processor and blend for about 15 minutes. Yes, that seems like a long time, but trust me on this one.

2.) When dough has formed, empty it out onto a very lightly floured surface. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. When boiling rapidly, place your colander or spatzle-maker over the surface, and begin to drop bits of the dough into the water. Continue all dough is cooking in the water.

3.) The noodles need to cook for about three minutes, or until they begin to float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked noodles from the water and place in a large bowl off to the side.

4.) When all noodles have been cooked, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about two minutes, just until soft and translucent.

5.) Add spatzle to the skillet, turn to coat with oil, and then cook, for about 5 minutes, until spatzle has begun to brown and crisp slightly on the surface. Season with salt and pepper.

6.) When finished cooking, move to a bowl, stir in parsley.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Choux Pastry

Originally published on February 15, 2014

Ah, choux pastry. This is one of those items that I happen to have a funny little cooking story about (my favourite kind of recipe!) I first heard about, and saw, people making choux pastry on shows such as MasterChef and Chopped – all those shows where the chefs are trying to make something that will really knock the socks off the judges. When I first heard of it, and for some time after, I thought it was called “shoe pastry.” Now, the reason for this is pretty reasonable. When I first saw someone making it, the dough was in a long thin shape. Knowing that it was meant for something to be slipped inside of the pastry, it made perfect sense to me that it would be called “shoe pastry.” Long, thin, meant to hold something. Sounded like a shoe to me. Then I found out that it’s actually called “choux pastry.”

Again though, I jumped to the wrong conclusion at first. Choux? What did that mean? I knew that choux pastry is a French pastry, so I decided (all on my own) that “choux” in French must mean “hollow.” After all, the hollowness of this pastry is one of its most defining characteristics, so that must be it. Right? No. In fact, I couldn’t have been farther from the mark. “Choux” actually means – of all things – “cabbage” in French. And this type of pastry is called “choux” because apparently to some, it looks like little cabbages when it’s finished cooking. Okay, so I don’t agree with that, but at least now when you say “choux pastry,” you might have an idea of what you’re talking about.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
Pinch salt 
3/4 cup butter 
4 teaspoons sugar 
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs, lightly beaten 
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons milk 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a large saucepan on the stove, combine the water, salt, butter, and sugar; bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Beat quickly, until a dough begins to form and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Place the pan back over the heat for just a minute or two, beating the entire time.

3.) Remove the pan from the heat and roughly one at a time, beat the eggs into the mixture, making sure the egg is entirely incorporated before adding another. You may not need all the eggs here – keep whatever egg you don’t use to the side, mixed with the milk and ready to use. Your dough in the saucepan will be finished when you can place a large dollop onto a wooden spoon and it’s glossy but falls heavily to the bottom of the saucepan.

4.) Beat in the vanilla and spoon the dough into a piping bag.

5.) Pipe balls of the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, so that the balls are about an inch large, and spaced about two inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of the egg/milk mixture for a glaze, and then push any pointed tops down with your finger.

6.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is hollow inside (see pic below.) You can test this by pulling just one out of the oven, opening it, and seeing if it is in fact, hollow.

7.) When all pastry is done baking, remove from oven and move to wire racks to cool completely. This will ensure that the pastry does not become soggy, and that it does not collapse.

8.) When completely cooled, slice off the tops, fill with whipped cream, and drizzle or dollop with chocolate on top for the perfect profiteroles.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Hollow Choux Pastry

Profiteroles

Originally published on February 15, 2014

Profiteroles *sigh*. Need I say anything else, really?

1 recipe choux pastry 
1 bag milk chocolate chips 
1 cup whipping cream 
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1.) Slice tops off choux pastry and set aside.

2.) Create a double boiler by placing a large metal or glass bowl over a saucepan filled with an inch or two of water. Place the chocolate chips in the bowl, bring the water up to a boil, and melt chocolate chips while stirring regularly. When all chocolate is melted, turn heat off and leave chocolate in the bowl.

3.) In a separate large bowl, place the whipping cream and beat with a hand mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Beat in sugar.

4.) Spoon a bit of whipping cream into each piece of choux pastry, pressing down gently on the top to allow it to ooze out the sides a bit. Using a large spoon, drizzle or dollop the melted chocolate all over the filled choux pastry.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Gnocchi

Originally published on February 16, 2014

They say that if you want to make pasta dough but have never done it before, gnocchi is a great one to start with. It’s pretty forgiving and doesn’t require the technical hand that other types of pasta dough do. However, you still have to be careful and not rush the process. It might take a time or two before you have those perfect little pillows of pure heaven, but even on your first try you should have something that very closely resembles them. I also never ever pour tomato or spaghetti sauce on my gnocchi. For me it can only be pesto, or delicious sage and brown butter sauce.

Ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt

Directions:

1.) Fill a large pot with cold water and a couple of teaspoons of salt. Scrub the potatoes clean, but leave the skins on them. Cut them in half, place in the pot, and bring up to a boil. Gently boil potatoes until they are just cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.

2.) One at a time, remove the potatoes from the water with a slotted spoon and place it on a large cutting board. Reserve the potato water. As soon as you can handle them and while the potatoes are still hot, peel them. Then use a ricer to rice the potatoes, but do not scoop into a pile when done. If you don’t have a ricer, place the potato flat-side down on the cutting board, and use a fork to roughly scrape down the sides until the potato is fully “scraped.” Remember that we do not mashed potatoes here!

3.) Allow the potato to cool slightly on the board, about 10 to 15 minutes. Then pull it all into a soft and loose mound. Drizzle the beaten egg and 3/4 cup of the flour across the potato. Using a light, feathery touch, fold the mixture from the bottom up until the flour and the egg is fully incorporated. The dough should be slightly yellow when you are finished at this point, as you should be able to see the egg throughout. If the dough is still too sticky at this point, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour a little at a time, until the consistency becomes a bit nicer.

4.) Gather the dough altogether and cut into 8 pieces. Roll each 1/8th of the dough into rope-like pieces that are about as wide as your thumb. Cut the ropes into 3/4″ pieces and dust with a bit more flour to keep them from sticking. If you’d like to, mark each piece of gnocchi by placing it against the tines of a fork and gently but firmly pressing down and out. I don’t bother with this step because I find the gnocchi does a good enough job on its own of holding the sauce to itself, and if I can just cook the gnocchi at this point, it means I’m that much closer to eating gnocchi!

5.) Bring the potato water back up to a boil (you can start with a fresh pot of water if you’d like, but using potato water will give the gnocchi a bit more starch to grab onto all that sauce, and a bit more flavour.) Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in batches, about 20 at a time, and remove them in batches when they are finished cooking. Place on a large platter and dress with the sauce of your choice.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Originally published on February 16, 2014

I love butter. I especially love it when it becomes brown, intensifies in flavour, and just makes me oh so happy. I also love sage. Fresh sage, that’s been fried in that mouth-watering brown butter, until it’s super crisp and also takes on an even deeper flavour. Combining the two, and putting it on something such as say, the perfect gnocchi – well, that’s one sure-fire way to get to culinary heaven.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of butter
8 sage leaves
Juice from 1/2 lemon 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.) Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook until it just starts becoming very golden, nearly brown.

2.) Add sage leaves and allow them to cook for a minute or two, until they turn a bit darker in colour and are crisp. Remove sauce from heat and add lemon juice.

3.) Drain pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid in the pot, and then place gnocchi or other pasta into the saucepan with the sauce. Add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid, return to heat for just a moment, add cheese, and toss again.

4.) Serve and enjoy!