Happy Birthday!

I could not let February 1st pass by without a little bit of fanfare. Today marks one year since I decided to start Sundays in the Kitchen and it has been an amazing experience.  I've challenged myself in the kitchen and tried new recipes.  This is something that I always strive to do, but I have enjoyed taking other people on the ride with me.

To commemorate this occasion, we are having cake!  However, this is not any cake.  When I was living in Moldova my host family would make blini, the Russian name for crêpes that are popular in Eastern Europe. On special occasions they would make them, rolling them into tubes with sour cherries inside and then layering with whipped cream. 

Full disclosure - my crêpe recipe is not the same as a traditional blin or blinchik recipe. But it works perfectly and I definitely enjoyed the mental escape, imagining myself back in my host family's kitchen watching everyone prep for a party.

Sour Cherry Blini

 

Ingredients:

 

6 eggs - beaten

1 1/2 c. water

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 jar pitted sour cherries - drained

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp sugar

 

Directions:

 

Beat together the eggs, water, flour, and salt.  Let stand for 5 minutes (you can preheat your cast iron skillet during this time).  In your greased 6 1/2 inch skillet, make crêpes.  Pour just enough batter into the skillet to cover it.  Flip as soon as the batter is set and cook the second size only for a few additional seconds.  Continue until the batter is gone.  You should be able to make about 40.

 

Assembly time!  Line up your crêpes, the sour cherries, and your serving dish.  In a large bowl, whip together the cream and sugar just until soft peaks begin to form.  Add to the assembly line.

 

Take a crêpe, place a few cherries on it, fold into a tube, and place onto the serving dish. 

 

 

 

Repeat until you have your first layer. 

 

 

 

Cover with a bit of whipped cream. 

 

 

Repeat until you have your cake.

 

 

Who's hungry?



Vegetarian Haggis

Well...I think it's safe to say that Italy has been thoroughly covered and will continue to be covered thanks to my [slight] addiction to cheese and carbs.  I have brought us over to Moldova.  I have even done my own twist on a British baker's twist of a Swedish recipe.  Where next?  Scotland and my take on a vegetarian haggis (no groans please).  Why haggis?  Really...because I can.  Plus, a friend spent some time in Scotland and we had enough discussions involving haggis that my interest was peaked.  Once my interest is peaked it is pretty much a guarantee that I will, eventually, get around to making the respective offender.

If I was being true to Scottish traditional food, I would have made haggis.  But since the USDA and several other agencies would have taken great offense to this, vegetarian haggis it had to be.  I did my research and came across a great article in The Guardian that gave a reason behind each of the various substitutions.  I also made additional changes.  The two most significant changes were molasses instead of treacle (you cannot get treacle in the United States, at least not that I've seen) and beer instead of stock.  Why use beer instead of stock?  Well, if you are asking this question sincerely, let me introduce myself.  Plus, when my friend was in the habit of making haggis, her recipe actually called for scotch.  She chose to use a porter instead.  None of the recipes I found used alcohol but I truly saw no reason not to make the substitution.  Since I wanted a vegetarian meal to pass as a meat dish, the heavier flavor of the porter was actually going to be very helpful.

Now, the result will certainly fool no one.  It is vegetarian haggis baked in a tin not the traditional version steamed in a sheep's stomach.  However, what you do get is a very hearty vegetarian meat(less)loaf.  Do not be put off by the smell while it is cooking on the stove, you will be pleased with the end result.

Vegetarian Haggis

Ingredients:

1/4 c. canned red kidney beans - drained, rinsed, mashed
1/4 c. pearl barley
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion - chopped
1 large carrot - chopped
1/3 c. portobello mushrooms - chopped
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 c. steel cut oatmeal
3 Tbsp ground peanuts
1½ Tbsp dark molasses
1 c. Porter

Directions:

Boil the barley for about 30 minutes until tender but not completely soft.

Melt half the butter in a saute pan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the carrot and saute, stirring, until both are soft and beginning to brown. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes to soften, adding the spices after a minute or so.

Add the beans, oatmeal, and ground peanuts.  Stir to coat with butter.  Pour in the porter and molasses. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the mixture is very thick.  Not going to lie to you, this is where things no longer smell very nice.  Do not despair, it will get better.  My porter of choice for this was Samuel Smith Old Brewery Tadcaster The Famous Taddy Porter.  How could I resist a name like that!?

While everything thickens, preheat the oven to 350F.

Stir in the pearl barley and remaining butter, and grease a meatloaf tin. Give the mixture a little taste test.  If you are satisfied then spoon into the tin, cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 30. Leave for five minutes, then turn out and serve.

I realize some of us may not have a lot of faith in Scottish cuisine, but I promise, flavorful and hearty is what you get here.

Broccoli and Potato Pie

Another Saturday.  Another get together with friends.  Another excuse to bust out with a new recipe.

I have always enjoyed my mother's scachatta recipes and were some of my favorite parts of our family picnics growing up.  If you have never experienced the greatness that is scachatta, imagine a calzone cut into strips.  It's pretty basic but makes for excellent party food.  The fillings are typically spinach or broccoli and potatoes along with a serious helping of garlic.  You could also make it sausage or pepperoni to satisfy the meat lovers.  Add a little shredded mozzarella and you have yourself your contribution to the food table.  The fact that the filling can be whatever you wish it to be makes throwing one together with just the current contents of your fridge or a quick trip to the grocers even more appealing.  Of course, it's super annoying when you call your mother for an exact recipe and her response is... "Well I usually do whatever I'm in the mood for.  A little spinach and potato or broccoli and potato.  Sometimes I use sausage.  But make sure you add a lot of garlic." Thanks mom.

My whining aside, knowing that there is no super secret family recipe for scachatta left me room to do as I pleased.  I probably would have done as I pleased anyway, but now it was a justified maneuver instead of cooking rebellion.

I decided that my personal scachatta go to should be broccoli and potatoes with diced tomatoes.  The goal for including the tomatoes was to alleviate the desire for any side marinara sauce.  I also decided to go with phyllo dough instead of pizza dough.  I wanted to have something a bit lighter since this would be just one item on a table full of party food.  You can eat one or two slices of this pie along with everything else people brought and hopefully not feel so guilty at the end of the night.

Broccoli and Potato Pie

Ingredients:

1 whole broccoli crown - chopped
2 large yellow potatoes - diced
1 large tomato - peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic - minced
2 c. mozzarella - shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box phyllo sheets - thawed
Butter or oil for phyllo sheets

Directions:

Chop the broccoli then peel and dice the potatoes.  In a large sauce pot, steam everything until tender - approximately 10 minutes.  Blanche the tomato for about 30 seconds.  Peel, remove seeds, and dice.  Mix everything in a large bowl with the garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Take out the thawed phyllo sheets.  Brush a sheet with oil or butter and place a second sheet on top.  Repeat until you have 4 sheets layered together.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the sheet in half.

Place a healthy spoonful or two (use a serving spoon) of filling into the center for one of the sheets.  Fold the sheet over, covering the filling, and seal the edges with just a little butter, oil, or water.  Fold all of the edges back up to prevent any leakage during baking.  Brush with butter or oil.

Once all the pies have been put together, bake them in an oven preheated to 375F for approximately 25 minutes.  You want them to be a nice golden brown.

Cut into slices once they have cooled.

They really do make a great finger food for your next party. 

Party Bites

For the last few years, summer always means an afternoon or two spent watching a polo match.  I have friends who will purchase a tailgating plot at two or three matches each season.  They invite 10 to 15 of us to get together, we all bring food to share, play some lawn games before the main event, and just enjoy each other's company.  I enjoy the matches not only for the food everyone brings but also for the fact that "chukka" becomes a normal part of the day's conversations.  Chukka is the proper term for each period of play that makes up the polo match.  You can just add this to the list of weird things I like.  Now, getting back to the food.

The best types of offerings at a gathering like this one are foods that can be easily picked at over time: salsa and chips, any food that comes on a stick, all things bite sized.  This time around I went with cheesecake cups and tortellini and fruit bites.  I went a little fancy for the cheesecake cups because I wanted to try something a bit different.  Instead of using sour cream I chose to use creme fraiche, which I made myself.  The phyllo cups I also made myself out of phyllo sheets.  The recipe for each follows in a bit.

The tortellini and fruit bites were an idea inspired by Pinterest.  I had pinned some "salad on a stick" ideas but I still wanted something a bit more original than just salad.  As I continued to hunt for ideas I came across a pin for a tortellini and fruit salad...on went the light bulb.  The kebabs contain cantaloupe, tortellini, pineapple, tortellini, ending with watermelon.  The dressing is 1 individual container of plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbsp of honey.

Phyllo cups

Ingredients:

Phyllo dough sheets - thawed
1 stick butter - melted
sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F and grease a cupcake tin.

Brush a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and then sprinkle on some sugar.  Put another sheet of phyllo dough on top and repeat until it is 5 sheets thick.

Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 squares and then place into the cupcake tray.  Bake for 8 or 9 minutes, being careful not to burn them.  Once they begin to brown, they'll brown up fast so pay attention.

Remove from tray and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator, or wrap and put in freezer, until ready to use.

Creme Fraiche

Ingredients:

1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp buttermilk

Directions:

Combine cream and buttermilk in glass jar.  Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours or until very thick.  Stir, recover, and store in the refrigerator.

No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

Will make 20 of "my version" small phyllo cups

Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese - softened
1/2 c. crème fraiche
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, using an electric beater, cream the softened cream cheese until smooth. Continue to beat, adding the confectioners sugar a little at a time. Once thoroughly combined add the crème fraiche and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Transfer to a large zip lock or pastry bag then chill for 1 or 2 hours. When ready, fill phyllo cups, and then put back in fridge or freeze until ready to serve.

These cheesecake cups come out nice and creamy with just a slight tang from the crème fraiche.  You can top them with fresh berries and they become a wonderful addition to any party.

Steak and Pesto Pinwheel Bread

I do believe I have already established my love of the Great British Bake Off and so once again we return to a show inspired dishes.  During Season 5, Richard made a Pesto Pinwheel Bread that, according to the judges, looked and tasted quite good.  The look of it is in fact rather intimidating but, I decided I was up for the challenge. 

However, I wanted something a bit heartier than Richard's original recipe.  I wanted something that I felt confident I could just tear off a couple twists, take to work for lunch, and feel completely satisfied.  This is why my version is made with steak.  This bread can be made with anything though.  Pick a few items that entice your own taste buds and make a great party appetizer or fun lunch item for the week.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 lb 2 oz white flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 oz superfine sugar
10g quick-rise yeast
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 eggs - beaten
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. warm water
olive oil for greasing

Filling:

1 lb stew beef - quarter each cube
1 red onion - quartered and sliced
1 red bell pepper - sliced
5 Tbsp pesto
olive oil for drizzling
1 egg - for egg wash

Directions:

The night before, marinate stew beef in 2 Tbsp pesto.

For the dough:

Put the flour, salt, yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and 1/8 c. of warm water in your stand mixer.  Using a bread hook, mix until just combined.  Add 1/8 to 1/4 c. of warm water and mix again.  Continue adding portions of the water and mixing until you have a soft dough. 

Turn out the down onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead for approximately 10 minutes.  You want the dough to be smooth and elastic.  Put the dough into a greased bowl and let rise for one hour.

The vegetables:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper - one for onions and the other for bell pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes.

Putting it all together:

Turn out the risen dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for 20 seconds.  Split the dough in half, set aside one portion.

Roll out the dough into a circle with a diameter of approximately 12 inches.  Let rest for 5 minutes and then roll again to diameter of 13 inches.  Place on a pizza tray.

Spread remaining pesto onto the bread then layer with beef, onions, and peppers.

Repeat the above rolling instructions for the top layer.

Wet edges of bottom layer with water then lay down the top layer and join together.

Place a small bowl in the center of the pinwheel and cut 16 equally sized striped coming out from the bowl.

Twist each strip twice.

Set aside to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Brush the top of the pinwheel with a beaten egg.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

The dough is a bit on the sweeter side, which surprised me at first but I really like.  Don't worry about the sturdiness of the twists, I have not had a problem with the filling falling out once they are ripped off the pinwheel.  It should turn out to be a sturdy bread and it can handle heavy fillings.  Finally, if you cannot find superfine sugar, do not despair.  Use a blender or coffee grinder to turn granulated sugar superfine.  Just a couple of pulses should do the trick.

I wish you the best on your own pinwheel experiment!