Monthly Archives: March 2013

Pine Nut, Olive Oil and Cherry Cookies

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  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) pine nuts, plus extra for decorating cookies
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) dried cherries, chopped
  • 2 1/4 cup (560 ml) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp (10 ml) baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp (0 ml) ground ginger
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp (0 ml) salt
  • 1/2 cup (130 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 3 tbsp (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) whipping cream
  • 1 large egg
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Spread pine nuts over a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Pulse pine nuts and cherries in a food processor fitted with blade attachment until coarsely ground.
  2. In a bowl whisk together 2 cups (500 ml) flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar and oil at medium speed for 5 minutes. Stir in pine nut mixture. Add flour mixture and stir together until just incorporated. Add cream and egg, and mix until combined. Stir in remaining ¼ cup (50 ml) flour.
  3. Roll 2 tsp (10 ml) of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2-in (5 cm) apart and flatten slightly. Decorate each one with a few pine nuts and a sprinkling of sugar. Bake until edges are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time. Let cool on baking trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Chicken Yassa

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Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced Thai red chili peppers, seeded if preferred
  • 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) chicken legs with thighs, split
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 thinly sliced red onion

Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 cups sliced red onions (about 3)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 teaspoon minced Thai red chilli peppers, seeded if preferred
  • 11/2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 11/2 cups diced sweet potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives cut into thirds

Combine lemon juice, lemon rind, vegetable oil and minced chili in a medium bowl.

Add chicken pieces and cover with onions. Cover bowl and leave to marinate, refrigerated for 2 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Discard marinade and onions.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a skillet on medium high. Add onions, season with salt to bring out juices and stir occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes or until onions are soft and browned. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, chili, stock and Dijon mustard. Stir until combined.

Stir in sweet potatoes and olives. Bring to a boil, boil 1 minute and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Reserve.

Brush chicken with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Preheat grill to medium. Grill chicken 8 to 10 minutes per side or until golden and juices run clear.

Serve chicken coated with vegetables and sauce. Garnish with cilantro.

Sticky Orange Chicken

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  • zest and juice of a large orange
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 1 T. brown sugar
  • 1 T. honey
  • 2 t. grated fresh ginger
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2-1 t. sambal oelek or Sriracha hot sauce
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • canola oil, for cooking

In a small saucepan, stir together the orange zest and juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, garlic and sambal oelek. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until it’s reduced and syrupy, stirring occasionally.

In a shallow bowl, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Heat a drizzle of oil in a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown it on all sides. Pour the sauce over the chicken, stir to coat, then cover and cook it for a few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and covered with a sticky glaze. Serve immediately with rice and veg or broccoli slaw. Serves 6.

Whole Wheat Focaccia

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  • 400 grams whole-wheat flour, plus more for dusting (3 cups)
  • 6 grams instant yeast (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 8 grams kosher salt (2 teaspoons)
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt for sprinkling
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup warm water (more as needed) and 1 tablespoon of the oil through the feed tube. Process until the dough becomes a barely sticky, easy-to-handle ball, about 30 seconds. If it’s too dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time, and process for another 10 seconds. If it’s too wet (unlikely), add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Shape the dough into a ball and roll in a bowl with the teaspoon of oil. Cover until it almost doubles in size, from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 500. Spread a large baking sheet with another tablespoon of oil. Press the dough into the pan, leaving it 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick; dimple the top with your fingertips and sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary and another tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with a towel and let the dough sit until it puffs nicely, 60 minutes. Bake until golden all over and springy to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan before cutting into squares or breaking into pieces.

Bannock

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  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • butter/margarine (approx. 1/2 cup)
  • milk

Mix the butter into the flour mixture until the butter and flour is cut together.  Add milk 1/2 cup at first, mix it; if the dough is not doughy enough then add more milk until it is sticky but not wet.  You want to be able to knead it with your hands.  Flatten into a greased pan and cook at 350 until golden brown, or you can deep dry it in pieces.  If you are out camping you can wrap it in tin foil and cook over an open fire.

Celery Salt

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  • Celery leaves plucked from a bunch of celery stalks
  • Sea salt of your choice

Pick the leaves from the celery stalks, keeping only the ones that look healthy and green.  Rinse and dry well, patting them with a clean dish towel.

Arrange the leaves without crowding on one of several baking sheets, depending on how much you have, and slip them into the oven while you’re preheating it for another purpose. Keep an eye on the leaves and remove them from the oven when they’re crisp and dried, but not quite browning yet, 5 to 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Transfer the leaves to a large bowl and crumble them with your fingers.  Measure the volume of crumbled celery leaves you’ve obtained, and combine with one to one and a half times the volume of salt.  Transfer to a jar with tight lid for keeping.

Carrot Soup

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  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
  • 2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
  • Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls.

Buttermilk Biscuits

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  • 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons (10 to 20 grams) sugar (to taste, see note above)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 9 tablespoons (125 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together.

To form biscuit rounds: Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (err on the thin side if uncertain, as the tall ones will literally rise and then tip over, like mine did the day I photographed these). Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for the monstrous ones shown above), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart.

To drop biscuits: Drop 1/4-cup spoonfuls onto baking sheet, spacing two inches apart.

Both methods:Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Honeycomb Mold (MOM)

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3 eggs
1 pint milk
1/8 pint water
1 oz. sugar
1/2 oz. powdered gelatine
1 tsp. vanilla

  1. Make a custard with yolks of eggs, sugar and milk.  Stir in milk in pan at medium heat.  Stir until almost boiling, thick.
  2. Add the gelatine dissolved in water.  Cool, add flavouring.  Beat egg whites very stiffly and fold into the custard.  Stir occasionally, and when on the point of setting pour into a wet mold and leave to set.