Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup of arborio rice

3 to 4 cups of heated stock 

1 cup of Parmesan cheese

2 TBS of butter

2 bulbs of shallots (or equal amounts onion)

Use a pan that has a large opening.

Melt the butter (you can add olive oil if you like) and add shallots (or onions) and saute until transparent, not brown.

Add the rice and stir while cooking for a couple minutes until the rice becomes transparent too.

Start to add the heated stock slowly, about one cup at a time and stir. 

You want the rice to release the starch slowly to make it creamy.

You don't need to stir all the time, but at least every time that you add broth…

After the last cup of broth, try the rice to see if it is tender.  

When rice is cooked, add the cheese and check if you need to add salt.

That is the basic risotto, to this you can add anything…

For summer, add zucchini  and fresh tomatoes, or fresh herbs or spinach.

This dish has to be served immediately or the rice will continuing to absorb the liquid and became too thick.

 

Tomatinhos (Roasted Tomatoes)

1 Costco box of grape tomatoes / or cherry tomatoes

2  or 3 TBS of Rock Salt

Sprigs of rosemary (handfull)

6 gloves of garlic unpeeled

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F

Wash the tomatoes and dry them well, (don't use cold tomatoes as the condensation will create too much liquid)

Put tomatoes in baking pan and add salt on top as well as the sprigs of rosemary.

Use something flat to roughly press the unpeeled garlic to release the flavor and distribute the cloves in the tomato pan.

Pour olive oil over the tomatoes until the bottom of the pan is covered

Bake in oven at 350F for about 15 minutes on bottom tray.  Then transfer to the top tray to broil for a few minutes.  

Serve with pasta, toast, crackers… If you want, you can blend the roasted tomatoes to create a sauce.

Broccoli Goat Cheese Frittata

Broccoli Goat Cheese Frittata

serves 2, takes 15 minutes
from Eating For England


Ingredients
"The ingredients list here is very rough. A frittata is not really about precision in my opinion; it’s more about what you have on hand and making adaptations."

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

• dash salt

• 1/2 head leftover broccoli (raw asparagus would work well here. snap off the tough ends and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• dash milk

• 2 tbsp organic chevre (soft goat cheese)

• small handful sharp cheddar, grated (gruyere or swiss works really well here – use what you have on hand!)

Directions
Heat olive oil into a small oven-proof frying pan over medium high heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes.


Whisk eggs with a dash of milk in a small bowl. Whisk in chevre and add salt. Add broccoli to pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until warmed through. Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 2 minutes. While cooking, pre-heat the oven broiler.


Sprinkle cheddar cheese over eggs and put in oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges.


More frittata ideas:
> asparagus and cheddar
> leeks and goat cheese 
> spinach and garlic 
> bacon and cheese 
> mushroom and swiss

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) (57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Optional: for glaze, 1 egg beaten 

Filling of choice (whipped cream, mousse, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (Make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) 

Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. 

Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). 

Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute). 

Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon). 

Spoon or pipe 12 small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. 

With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg. 

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Continue to bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. 

Turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

Cut in half and fill with desired filling and assemble back together.

(Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking website: http://www.joyofbaking.com/CreamPuffs.html#ixzz1scbIYVKH)

Cream

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks

1 can of condensed milk

2 cans of milk (use the condensed milk can to measure it)

Pass the yolk to a strainer and add the milk and condensed milk and cook on the stovetop until it becomes thicker. Let it cool off.

You can serve this mixed with meringues, with peaches or use it as a filling between cake.

Meringue

Ingredients:
4 egg whites

3 cup of sugar

Optional: 1 tbs of vanilla or meant extract or lemon juice and zest

Add all ingredients to a mixer and mix well until it can form stiff peaks (around 10 minutes).

Put mixture in a zip lock bag and cut an opening in the corner to pipe out the mixture.

Pipe out small balls on a cooking sheet and take in the oven at 275F with the oven door open a crack for about 45 min to 1 hour (you can stick a chopstick in the oven door to keep it ajar while baking).

Serve alone as a snack or with cream and fruit.

Bread in a Blender

Ingredients:

4 eggs

4 cups of water or 1 liter of milk

1 cup of oil

1 TBS of salt

5 TBS of sugar

50 gr of yeast (about 2 and ½ packets)

1 kg of white flour

How to prepare:

Put flour in a bowl and reserve.

Mix all other ingredients in a blender and pour it over the flour.

Incorporate all ingredients and prepare three loaf pans with butter and flour and add the dough.

Let it rest for 1 ½ hour.

Then, bake at 350F (preheated oven) for about 50 min or until golden brown on top.

(Recipe from Edilene Janotti)

Brazilian Cheese rolls

Ingredients:

2 bags of Tapioca Starch (14 oz each)

4 cups of cheese shredder in large pieces

4 TBS of Parmesan cheese

½ cup of oil

2 and ¼ cups of water

1 TBS of salt

3 eggs

How to prepare:

Boil water and oil.

In a mixer bowl add the tapioca starch and salt and pour in the hot water and oil and start mixing slowly until the dough sticks together.

Add 1 egg and keep mixing until incorporated into the dough and add the other 2, one by one.

Without stopping the mixer start adding the cheese and when everything is incorporated stop the mixer. 

Using a diner spoons, drop dough on a cooking sheet and bake at 350F (preheated oven) for about 30 min.

Best when hot out of the oven.

This will make around 60 rolls or so.

(Recipe from Edilene Janotti)

Jeannie Sprague's Roasted Pumpkin Kabob Salad

Roasted Pumpkin Kabob Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin (about 2 lb.) or 2 lb. butternut or acorn squash
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or salad oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. snipped fresh sage or flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• 1 tsp. kosher salt or 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or salad oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 oz. semi-soft goat cheese (chèvre) or 6 small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini)*
• 2 Tbsp. chopped toasted pumpkin seeds, purchased pumpkin seeds, toasted walnuts or pecans
• 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh sage
• 6 cups mesclun or arugula

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees °F. Halve pumpkin or squash; scoop out and discard fibrous strings and seeds. Peel with a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife. Cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch chunks. Thread onto six 8- to 10-inch wooden skewers. Place in a foil-lined shallow baking pan.

2. Combine the 1/4 cup oil, garlic, the 2 teaspoons sage, lemon peel, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brush half the oil mixture over kabobs. Roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Brush kabobs with remaining oil mixture. Roast for 15 minutes more or until tender.

3. Meanwhile, in a screw-top jar combine the 1/3 cup oil, lemon juice, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and shake well; set aside. Shape goat cheese into 6 balls; roll in pumpkin seeds or nuts and/or the 1 tablespoon sage.

4. Just before serving, place mesclun, kabobs, and prepared cheese balls in a serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Makes 6 servings

Jeannie Sprague's Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray for baking
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into chunks (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1 1/2-lb. pie pumpkin, shredded* or one 15-oz. can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• Molasses Glaze (below)
• Molasses Whipped Cream (below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With the nonstick spray for baking, generously coat a 10-inch square tube pan without removable bottom or a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl set aside 1/2cup of the flour. In a large bowl combine remaining flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. To the reserved 1/2 cup flour, stir in chocolate chunks; toss to coat.

3. In another bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Add chocolate mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into tube pan.

4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan; cool 30 minutes. Brush with Molasses Glaze; cool. Served with Molasses Whipped Cream. Makes 12 to 16 servings

Molasses Glaze: In a small saucepan melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup dark-color corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons molasses. Bring to simmer. Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool 5 minutes; spoon over cake.

Molasses Whipped Cream: In a chilled mixing bowl combine 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 2 to 3 teaspoons molasses. Beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon into serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or ground cinnamon. Pass with cake.

Alexis Dorny's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

16 oz canned pumpkin

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

12 oz chocolate chips

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Sift together flour and dry ingredients. Stir to form dough. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Alexis Dorny's Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin

1/4 cup softened butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon yeast

Combine ingredients in bread machine and process on dough cycle. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape rolls as desired and place on greased baking sheet. Cover and rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Cherry's Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (16 oz) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon each kosher salt, cinnamon and allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Place oil, red onion, garlic and seasonings in large pot. Cook on medium-low heat until red onion and garlic brown. Puree the beans and tomatoes with half the vegetable broth. Add pureed ingredients, pumpkin and rest of broth to the pot. Simmer uncovered until thick, about 40 to 45 minutes. Before serving stir in balsamic vinegar. Garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Next Cooking Class Sept 30th!

Hello everyone, are you surprised to see this blog get updated? I sure am! I got the flu, which forced me to cancel a trip so I had time to write this. Imagine what a cool person I could be if I didn't travel! Wait sorry, this isn't my personal blog it is a cooking blog so.. LET'S COOK!

Or not..

September's topic:

BROWN BAG!! See how this could help you...

• Are you tired of your kids complaining that the food you send in their lunch has no trade-in value on the streets?

• Are you burned out on getting invited to a quilting lunch and just stay home and watch your favorite rerun of MASH instead because you don't have anything at home that doesn't require hours in the kitchen?

• When your grandkids come over, do you feel like you have to have costco snacks in the pantry to bribe them (wait, which ones do they like?)

• When you go to play group, do your kids always want to eat Lyndsi or Jo's snacks?

• Do the cafeteria ladies make your kids put their chocolate away (I know, that is none of their business, right?)
  

Well this is the class for you! Come to class and bring something that looks healthy enough to fool even the most astute of lunch ladies!

SEPTEMBER 30th at 7pm MPR (Multipurpose room, I just got that acronym from a cool school in Indiana!)

Lynette Mill's Chocolate Mud Cake

This was the slow cooker recipe. I know, I know, forever ago. But just in time for the slow-cooker season!

Serve with vanilla ice cream

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons + 1/3 cup cocoa

1 tablespoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/ 3 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups hot water

1. Spray Pam all over slow cooker.

2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Melt butter and chocolate chips in microwave.

3. Whisk in 2/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, salt, milk and egg yolk. Add to flour and stir well.

4. Pour batter into slow cooker and spread evenly. In bowl, whisk together brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

5. Pour mixture over batter in slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours.

6. When done, cake is very moist -- floating on a layer of chocolate (sides pull away from pot)

Super Sinful Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had these at a family party last month and they were really and truly unbelievable. Like I literally could not prevent my hand from reaching out over and over again. Soo bad. But so good!

Bertha Mendez’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ pound butter

½ pound margarine

1 ½ cup sugar

2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3 Tablespoons vanilla

6 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Approx. 4 cups chocolate chips (I use lg bag of CC from Costco and pour ½ bag in)

1 bag vanilla chips

½ bag of pecans from Costco. I am guessing 2-3 cups?

1. Cream together softened butter and margarine. Must use both, something about the combo of both that makes the recipe!
2. Add sugar, brown sugar and mix
3. Add eggs and vanilla
4. In two separate bowls, measure 4 cups of flour in one, 2 cups in other, set this one aside.
5. In bowl with 4 cups of flour, mix in baking soda and salt.
6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture.
7. Based on the consistency you like, add as much of the remaining 2 cups of flour as you see fit, you may not use all 2 cups. I use all six because I like thicker, rounder cookies, so does Bertha, but do whatever you like.
8. This is the creative part of the recipe. Let your taste guide you. If you like chocolate chips more than vanilla chips, add more or visa versa. You can also use walnuts instead of pecans. I personally think pecans and more cc taste the best.
9. Add chocolate chips, vanilla chips, and pecans. At this point I use my hands to mix.
10. When you are ready to make the cookies, I basically make sure that there is barely enough dough to hold everything in it. If it looks like too much dough, I add more of whatever I have left.
11. Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

Salad Night

We are outdated obviously! So just because the blog is behind doesn't mean you can't come to our upcoming Cooking Night on Tuesday: Fruit!

Here is a video clip of Chef Ramsay making his super simple salad--I brought it to share last time.

Other recipes coming soon...

Notes from Enrichment--Crock Pots

Thank you to everyone who made the crock pot recipes!

Recipes to be posted soon:
Lynette Mills' Mud Pie (yum!!!)
Verlene Green's Rice Pudding
Lee Fleming's Apple Sauce

Other notes:

Successful flavor combos:

Russian Dressing
Apricot Jam
Dried Onion

Lipton Beefy Onion Mix (powdered)

BBQ Sauce

Chile Powder
Cumin
Chicken

Dry Italian Dressing Mix
Cream Cheese
Chicken

Sour Cream
Cream of Chicken
Chicken
Grated Parmesan

Favorite Recipes (hopefully to be posted soon!)

Creamy Italian Chicken (Katie Erb)
Pot Roast (Verlene Green)
Enchiladas (Lyndsi Stock)
Chili (Jo Nebeker)
Show You Chicken (Kaitlin DiMartini)
Green Chile Soup (Brandy Tuutau)
Salsa (Holly Yates)

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
NYTimes.com 11/8/06

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water
(Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

-----

This is much easier than it looks! Takes a little planning ahead to make this but is sooo worth it. My white Pyrex dish isn't quite 6-quarts, so I just cut the fully risen dough in half and make two loaves to prevent the bread from popping the lid off. Baking it covered makes the crust so incredibly crunchy while the inside is soft-- yum!

What a Crock!!!

Hola hermanas of the GV Chefs!! Our next meeting is on April 21st and the theme is slow cooker recipes. So easy peasy, just get up in the morning and throw some random stuff into your crock pot so we can taste your creative creations by evening time.

Also I am going to go ahead and throw the themes out there for the rest of the year:

May: Green Salads
June: Fruit (should we narrow it down?)
No cooking for July or August due to busy summers!
September: Pastas
October: Pumpkin
November: Cookies
No cooking club in December because of the holidays but hopefully the cookies we make in November will last through until the end of the year!

Any other topics you would like to see?