"Pain de Pecan" - June Artisan BOM

Over at our Artisan Bread group, The bread of the month (BOM) challenge for June was "Pain de Pecan" and after looking at several recipes and some photos, I decided to make mine into cinnamon roll style and add some wet walnuts along with my pecans. They Actually turned out very delicious and easy to make. They would be great for a  Sunday brunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour dough start
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                       

• ** Filling**
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, mixed with 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, wet walnuts and/or raisins, optional

***Icing***

• 2 tablespoons soft butter
• 2 tablespoons soft cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation: In small bowl or cup, mix together sugar, yeast and water and let bubble. In  a large bowl add sour dough, vanilla, softened butter and stir. Pour yeast water into sour dough and mix. added the rest of the ingredients and stir until dough starts to form into a ball. Turn out onto lightly floured counter, knead until smooth. Cover with warm damp towel and allow to raise until double in size. Roll out to a rectangle about 10 X 18 inches. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. then if you choose add walnuts, pecans and raisins. Starting at long end, carefully roll up; pinch seams together. Measure and cut 1-inch slices. I used pastry floss or string. Place cut side up on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a slightly dampened towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Drizzle with the icing, or your own favorite glaze or icing. As you can tell from the photo above I like my topped with wet walnuts.

Sour Dough Saturday

For our Super Saturday Cooking School Challenge today, we thought we would make our sour dough round loaves. This slightly crunch bread, with its rich brown crust, is very typical of a San Francisco sourdough loaf, know where I grew up as sheep herders bread. We love this bread for its chewiness and golden crust.

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 cup  sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 3 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 cups Flour

1) In a large bowl add warm water, sprinkle yeast and sugar on top of and let set 2 minutes. 




 

2) Mix in Sour dough Start and let set another 3 minutes.

 3) Add Flour and salt 

 4) then mix until dough form a ball and pulls away from the the side of the bowl, kneading to form a smooth dough.

5) Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.







 6) Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.




 

7) Gently shape the dough into two  oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. (we divided ours into 4small round loaves ). Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray the loaves with lukewarm water. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

8) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

"French Fridays with Dorie" - Guacamole with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

Dinner is served...
My husband makes very VERY yummy guacamole, so I was really hesitant to make this recipe, but since I am enjoying a chick-flick sort of evening, I got thinking this would be a great low-cal dinner. I love my guacamole chunky and I added cucumber. This is a very tasty recipe and will make it again. It makes a lot and would be great for a party starter...
I love the surprisingly bold flavor of all the fresh veggies.

Dorie´s Guacamole recipe calls for ripe Hass avocados, chopped red onion, diced grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, diced jalapenos, coriander, freshly squeezed lime juice, fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and some hot sauce. You can find all the details in her cookbook entitled "Around My French Table"

First batch of Scones...

We enjoyed our first batch of sour dough scones today for lunch...

Sour Dough & Summer Fun!

I love the first day of summer... It makes for a great excuse to start my sour dough! It also means that I am back from spending the week cooking at Girls camp, which is one of the major highlights of my summer! 

This is the only recipe I have ever used to start my sour dough. I grew up on the old pioneer recipes because of my heritage and due to the fact that my father like to make biscuits and scones for the family and the big 4th or July celebration in Circleville. 

Here it is... It has never failed me!

How to make Sourdough Starter:

1 tablespoon (1 packet) yeast (not rapid-rise)
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 more cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar or honey

This is a 2-quart glass jar. You dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup of water. Add flour, additional water, and the sugar or honey. Beat till blended. You can leave it in the jar to ferment, or transfer it to a larger jar, because the starter needs room to bubble up and expand. Store in on counter or in a dry warm place, should be ready to use in 24 hours.

"ATW80DS" - South Pole Chicken Pockets

 Hydroponic gardens and growing chambers produces the only fresh food that most of the stations on the South Pole will eat during their nine-month winter isolation.

Between February and November, there are about five months of complete 24-hour darkness, and the temperature ranges from -50°F to -100°F, so the bright lights, humid air, plant smells and colors of all sorts are just some of the reasons the“winterovers” are thankful for this escape from the hostile environment outside. Salads are enjoyed the most...

Ingredients:

1 pound peppered bacon

4 medium potatoes, chopped (we like mashed)

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

4 fresh Green Beans for each meal

1 medium onion, chopped

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves for each meal

1 teaspoon butter for each meal

4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary

garlic salt to taste

Directions:

1.	In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until evenly brown. Drain, chop coarsely, and set aside.
2.	On 4 large squares of heavy duty aluminum foil, evenly distribute the potatoes, bacon, beans, carrots, and onion. Arrange the chicken breasts over the vegetables, Top each with 1 teaspoon  butter, and rosemary, season with garlic salt. Fold the foil over the ingredients, and tightly seal.
3.	Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
4.	Place foil packets on the grill, and cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

"ATW80DS" - North Pole / Christmas Cakes

Christmas Cakes

2 cups dried currents

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dark raisins

1/4  cup maraschino cherries (cut in half)

1/4 cup chopped dates

3 tablespoons apple cider

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped Almonds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup grated lemon zest

1/4 cup grates orange zest

      You need to begin this cake the night before you want to bake it. Mix the dried fruit and zests, place it in a mixing bowl and mix in the apple cider (brandy was used in the old English recipe) as evenly and thoroughly as possible. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave the fruit aside to absorb the cider for 12 hours.

       Next day pre-heat the oven to 350*. Now begin the cake by sifting the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, lifting the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until it's light, pale and fluffy. Now beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed mixture a tablespoonful at a time; keep the whisk running until all the egg is incorporated. If you add the eggs slowly by degrees like this the mixture won't curdle. If it does, don't worry, any cake full of such beautiful things can't fail to taste good!

      When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices, using gentle, folding movements and not beating at all (this is to keep all that precious air in). Now fold in the fruit mixture and chopped nuts. Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared bread tins, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon and, if you don't intend to ice the cake, lightly drop the whole blanched almonds in circles or squares all over the surface. Finally cover the top of the cakes with foil, do not seal the foil, just lay on top so that the cakes can rise and get air.

      Bake the cake  for 4½-4¾ hours. Sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but in any case don't look till at least 4 hours have passed. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it's cold 'feed' it – make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over a few teaspoons of cider or brandy, decorate with icing of choice and enjoy.

"ATW80DS" - Pierogi / Pelmeni / Pirozhki

We are coming to the close of our "Around the World in 80 Days" Challenge and since this will be our last Super Saturday Cooking School day in this series, We thought it would be fun to show everybody how we make Pierogi.

Pierogi are yummy little filled dumplings. The key to a good pierogi is that first they are boiled, then they are  fried in butter with onions. Traditionally, they are stuffed with a potato filling made of mashed potatoes. sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit and in the central /eastern European provenances, they are usually semicircular, but are rectangular or triangular in some cuisines.

We start with a very simple dough based on an old recipe that Slavic baker friend of mine gave me many years ago...

1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. (or slightly more) sifted flour

Beat egg, milk, water and salt in a bowl. Sift flour onto a work surface making a volcano like hill with the flour and form a hole. Pour the water mixture in a thin stream and work in the flour. Mix well and knead until smooth. Rest under a bowl for 15 minutes.

Roll dough thinly as you would pasta dough (a pasta machine may be used).








Cut out circles. Place a spoon of filling on one side; fold the other side over the filling and pinch to seal. The pierogi will be the shape of a half circle. If pierogi are not sealing well, paint the edges with beaten egg white or water.



 Our favorite filling is a Chicken and Potato Filling:

1 1/2 lbs mashed potatoes, cooked and cooled

1 cup shredded chicken

1/4 cup canned corn (drained)
2 onions, finely minced and browned in 2-3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp. cottage cheese

2 tbsp. chopped chives, scallions, leeks or green onions

 After pierogi are filled and sealed, boil them in salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are cooked through (try one to see exactly how long it will take to cook through as this will vary due to size and other conditions).









The pierogi may be served as is with a little melted butter, or they can also be browned in a little butter before serving. Leftover pierogi are best browned or steamed the next day.
 

"ATW80DS" - Fasol Soup

Soups are a major part of Russian cuisine, A typical Russian meal starts with appetizers (zakuski), moves on to a hearty bowl of soup, proceeds to an equally hearty main course, and finishes with a not-too-sweet dessert. Soup is traditionally consumed on a daily basis, thus explaining the seemingly endless varieties.

 Ingredients:

1 lb of white beans - Canellini or Great Northern
2 quarts of water
2-3 lbs of lamb shanks or any meat hocks
1 cup dry rice
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup of diced onions
1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, diced
2 teaspoon of dried vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley and thyme

Method

1.  Soak the beans in at least 2 quarts of cold water over night. Drain the water.
2.  Put the ham shank pieces in a large pot, add chicken stock and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour. Add the chopped vegetables and beans. Cook for another hour, until the vegetables are soft and the ham meat easily pulls away from the bone. Add egg noddles and cook until noddles are tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley and thyme. This recipe serves

 ...The make-over part of this recipe is you leave out the 1/2 stick of butter that is usually used to saute the vegetable in before you add the water and chicken stock. Also you leave the broth clear instead of pureeing half of the vegetable mixture with a 1/2 cup heavy cream that is also called for in most recipes.

* Original Recipe 568 calories / Make-Over Recipe 269 calories

"ATW80DS" - Mozzarella Caprese Pizza

We are making a pit stop for PIZZA! 
I am an artisan bread enthusiast at heart and have been baking for many many years. I recently joined a baking group because of my passion for bread and I am always looking for new and fun recipes. They posted our first challenge today... 
So, Kalee and I spent time in the kitchen trying a new recipe of Mozzarella Caprese pizza with fresh ground 10 grain flour for our homemade crust.

Pizza Crust

3 cups 10 grain flour

1 teaspoon yeast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups warm water

Mix all together using your preferred mixing method, this could be in a bowl, bread machine or Kitchen aid mixer using a bread hook. Next, let rise until double in size, do not knead during the first rise. The dough will be sort of stick in the beginning. After doubling, knead for 2 mins on floured surface, let rise for 30 mins and then form into pizza rounds. Add toppings and bake for 20-30 mins at 350 degrees.

Mozzarella Caprese Toppings

2 tablespoons favorite pizza sauce

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Fresh tomato slices

2 slices of fresh mozzarella cut into fourths

3 leaves of fresh basil - sliced

"ATW80DS" - Svalbard Lappskojs

Okay... So I think we have reached the top of the world today, because I could only find one real food item listed for Svalbard and the picture looks not so yummy and never could find a good recipe that was in English.  The dish is called Lappskojs and is Pronunciation is like “Lapskois”, it is traditional food around Norway and Sweden, mostly in the Svalbard region. Principal ingredient is potato and It is simmered to mush with diced beef, carrots and sausages. I think tomorrow we will head south...

"ATW80DS" - Greenland Suaasat

Reindeer meat is one of the staples of Greenland along with seal. Living in Greenland requires a special diet to stay healthy and help them face the challenges of weather. The distance between fellow Greenlander's living in the small clusters of cities and villages dotting the Northern most island in the Arctic can be tough. The high meat content (marine mammals, fish, game, birds) of a typical Greenlander's diet provides the physical endurance needed to live year-round in the remote climate.

 

1 pound reindeer meat, cubed  (we used venison)
2  quarts water
2 cups pearl barley
3 onions, chopped 

1 cup sliced wild mushrooms
2 carrots, sliced 

1 cup cherries, dried
1 lemon, zest only
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 sprig thyme, chopped
1 bundle sage, chopped
sea salt and black pepper

 

Pour the water into a large pot and add the meat (as is), the vegetables, the cherries, the mushrooms, the salt and pepper to taste and the herbs and bring to a simmer, simmering on medium heat until tender about 1 hour.
Add barley and the lemon zest, check and correct the seasoning and cook until the soup is thick about 30 minutes.

"ATW80DS" - Peach & Halibut Salad

I am home from St. Louis and feeling very stuffy.  Here at the pantry we have virtually made our way to Iceland and during our studies of Icelandic Foods, It reminded us of a recipe that we tried back in 2011. Our Friend  Bob Harper, "Biggest Loser Trainer", posted this salad on his website "MyTrainerBob.com". Iceland is a simple and very elegantly rough place where food is minimal and clean. They eat lots of fish and vegetables in season. Bob's recipe looked so good, we just had to give it a try and the surprising thing was, we had all the ingredients in the pantry...

Ingredients:

Salad

• ½ peach, sliced
• 5 oz grilled halibut (sprayed with evoo, seasoned, grilled 8 minutes each side)
• ¼ cup drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
• 1 Persian cucumber, diced
• ¼ avocado cubed
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

Dressing

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Procedure

• Top mixed greens with peaches, cucumber, avocado, garbanzo beans, crumbled cheese, halibut
• Dressing- whisk in separate bowl and drizzle over salad.

You can find his video for the salad here at the website: Bob's Peach & Halibut Salad

"ATW80DS" - Another Cheese Detour with Fried Raviolis

This is my last day with the kids, we have had a great week and to celebrate we made Homemade fried Raviolis with homemade ricotta cheese. Since these are internet based adventures, we will once again share the awsome informational websites with you....

How to make fresh ravioli can be found here...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HbmG1QO1xg

Make turn it into Fried Ravioli, all you have to do is roll each piece in egg wash and then seasoned bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Now to make homemade Ricotta: 

Makes 2 cups

What You Need

Ingredients
1/2 gallon whole milk, not UHT pasteurized
1/3 cup lemon juice (from 1 1/2 to 2 lemons),
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar, or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (available from cheese-making suppliers)
1 teaspoon salt, optional
Equipment
4-quart pot
Instant read thermometer or candy thermometer
Measuring spoons
Cheese cloth
Strainer
Mixing bowl
Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. Warm the milk to 200°F: Pour the milk into a 4-quart pot and set it over medium heat. Let it warm gradually to 200°F, monitoring the temperature with an instant read thermometer. The milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove it from heat if it starts to boil.
2. Add the lemon juice and salt: Remove the milk from heat. Pour in the lemon juice or vinegar (or citric acid) and the salt. Stir gently to combine.
3. Let the milk sit for 10 minutes: Let the pot of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After this time, the milk should have separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-colored whey — dip your slotted spoon into the mix to check. If you still see a lot of un-separated milk, add another tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and wait a few more minutes.
4. Strain the curds: Set a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheese cloth. Scoop the big curds out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the strainer. Pour the remaining curds and the whey through the strainer. (Removing the big curds first helps keep them from splashing and making a mess as you pour.)
5. Drain the curds for 10 to 60 minutes: Let the ricotta drain for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry, you can also stir some of the whey back in before using or storing it.
6. Use or store the ricotta: Fresh ricotta can be used right away or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

• Whole vs. 2% vs. Non-Fat Milk: While whole milk is our favorite for making ricotta, 2% milk can also be used, though the ricotta is slightly less rich and creamy. Avoid using skim and nonfat milks; these don't separate as easily into curds and whey.
• Pasteurized Milk: Pasteurized milk is fine to use for making ricotta, but avoid UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk as this process changes the protein structure of the milk, preventing it from separating.
• Making Fresh Ricotta Salata: If you'd like to make a fresh farmer's cheese (ricotta salata) from this ricotta, wrap it in cheese cloth and press it beneath a weighted plate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Using the Leftover Whey: The leftover whey can be used in place of water in any baking recipe, whizzed into smoothies.

"ATW80DS" - Funnel Cake (Finland)

It was a great day for all the monkeys at the zoo..... CUZ WE WERE THERE! We had a fantastic day, first off we stopped at Ted Drewer's Custard shop. Yummy! Yummy! Next we enjoyed walking around and checking out all the awesome animals. And then we finished off the afternoon with a very tasty handmade FUNNEL CAKE...

This is a theme park style funnel cake recipe. It cooks up Light and fluffy and the gets dusted with powdered sugar, best served hot! 

Funnel Cake

Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Funnel Cake Directions:
1. In a deep skillet, heat about two cups of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the hot oil. If it sizzles right away without smoking, it's perfect.
2. Beat egg and milk. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to the egg mixture, beating until smooth.
3. Using a funnel, drop into hot oil working from center outwards in a web pattern. (You can use a gallon sized freezer bag instead of a funnel by pouring the batter into the bag, snipping off a small corner of it, and squeezing the batter into the oil.)
4. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, remove from the oil when golden brown and crispy.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

"ATW80DS" - Danish Feta Cheese

Spending the week with my son and his family affords me the pleasure of  spending more time in the kitchen with him. I love to watch my him work his way around the kitchen. I soon discovered that he was still in cheese making mode by all the glass jars filled with white lumpy stuff the filled his refrigerator. And too my amazement today, we sampled his first round of danish feta. 
Now Danish Feta is A creamier and smoother variant of the original Greek Feta cheese, Danish Feta (also called Danish White) is made from cow's milk. Though it isn't authentic, the Danish type of feta wins heart over with its mild flavor and ability to be cubed and sliced without crumbling. It is available in classic flavor as well as spiced with various herbs such as garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Danish Feta is well suited for salads and can also be served grilled.

We followed a great website that takes you through the precess step by step, so we would like to give credit whwere credit is due and refer you to the website for more details... (for danish Feta, use cow's milk instead of goat's milk)

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Feta-Cheese

"ATW80DS" - Swedish Strawberry Cupcakes

You will find me in St. Louis this week and my time is filled with the real Sugar Baby instead of just photos. Today is her momma's birthday and I came to give her a birthday break... We made her favorite cupcakes, cleaned her kitchen, and daddy took momma out for a much needed break filled with Lunch and a movie, while I enjoyed some grandma time. I feel so blessed to be able to have a "Workdesk" where ever I want it to be and today we are virtually in Sweden making Strawberry Funfetti Cupcakes with real homemade Strawberry Curd filling.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1  2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 package strawberry flavored jello
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons long rainbow sprinkles 
  Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  Make the cupcakes:  In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg, jello, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Fill muffin cups and bake 8-10 mins until done. Once cupcakes are totally cool, use piping bag and fill center of cupcake fill strawberry curd. Frost with your favorite frosting. We used homemade butter cream... :)

Strawberry Curd Filling

8 ¼ ounces strawberries, hulled

1 ¼ cup sugar

zest and juice of one small orange

zest and juice of one medium lemon

½ cup (1 stick) butter, cubed and at room temperature

4 eggs

- See more at: http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2014/05/strawberry-curd-almond-cookies/#sthash.XBgGxHyi.dpuf

• 8 ¼ ounces strawberries, hulled
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• zest and juice of one medium lemon
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 4 eggs
  
  

  Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside close to the stovetop. Puree the strawberries in a blender until very smooth. Pour the strawberry puree into a medium sauce pan and add the sugar, citrus zest and juice (about ¼ cup juice). Whisk to blend and add the butter pieces. Beat the eggs well in a small bowl, then whisk them into the strawberry mixture until combined. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the butter is melted. (it’s best to switch to a heatproof spatula here to be able to scrape the sides and reach the edges of the pan). Continue cooking until the curd is thickened, about 6- 8 minutes., stirring constantly. Scrape the curd immediately into the strainer set over the bowl. Push the curd through the strainer to remove any cooked egg or lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours. Transfer to an airtight container. The curd will keep refrigerated up to a week.

"ATW80DS" - Danish Aebleskivers

I grew up on these yummy little balls of sweet goodness, they are part of my Danish heritage. Speaking of heritage I am actually in the air as I post this, flying to St. Louis to see my oldest Son, wife and Sugar Bear (granddaughter). We sat on the runway for an hour this afternoon waiting for this to pass over us... It was exciting and scary all at the same time.

Aebleskivers Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs, separated

6 cardamon seeds ground

powder sugar for dusting

maple syrup and/or peanut butter

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In two bowls separate your egg whites and yolks. Add buttermilk and egg yolks to your flour mixture. Beat egg whites until light and fluffy forming soft peaks. Gently fold in egg whites into flour mixture.

Preheat an aebleskiver pan on medium heat. Grease each cup with vegetable oil. Fill each hole approximately 2/3 capacity with batter. Cook approximately 1-2 minutes on the first side. Flip using a wooden skewer and cook another 1-2 minutes on the second side. If filling aebleskiver, fill ½ way and cook 1-2 minutes on the first side. Fill the middle of each pancake with ½ t filling, top with another tablespoon of batter, flip and cook another 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan, sprinkle with powered sugar and serve with Maple Syrup and peanut butter.

 Optional Fillings: Nutella, Chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries, sautéed diced apples, applesauce, jellies or jams.

Yield 35-40 Aebelskivers

"ATW80DS" - Kiełbasa (Polish Dogs)

Monday, June 2, and I am in the mood for a Polish DOG! I like mine with Mayo, Katsup, mustard, relish and chopped onion, But in Poland you would be frowned on if you didn't eat them with... fried onions.

But the real way to eat a polish dog is as: 

Kielbasa and cabbage with buttermilk mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

 2 Tbsp olive oil

 2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups roughly chopped cabbage, 

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2-4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (white will work, but flavor is not there)

1 package beef kielbasa, cut into rounds

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until translucent. Add the washed cabbage, caraway seeds, crushed red pepper flakes and vinegar. Cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until cabbage starts to feel tender. Add the kielbasa rounds and cook for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on top of buttermilk mashed potatoes.