Puff Pastry! October 24, 2010
Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch, Snacks/Party Food , add a commentI bought a package of puff pastry on sale, but I had no idea what to do with it. I thought I might make a messy apple pie (galette) or something else, but then I thought of cheese. Mmmmmm… Cheese.
So here’s what I came up with!
Garlic and Cheese Galette
1 piece prepared frozen puff pastry, about 30 cm x 30 cm unrolled
1 cup leftover brown or wild rice
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
1 cup grated old cheddar cheese
1 tsp heavy cream (whipping or coffee cream)
1 – 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
~1/3 cup chopped almonds
1 tsp dried basil (or a few tbsp fresh basil if you have, chopped)
Few pinches of salt — I used himalayan rock salt
A pinch of nutritional yeast (optional)
Thaw puff pastry on the counter. Move it to a cookie sheet and unroll it. Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, then pour out into center of the pastry, leaving about 1″ of pastry showing on all sides. Starting at one corner and working your way around clockwise, fold the sides up until the filling is mostly enclosed – it’s okay if there are gaps. Put it in the oven for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
You could try lots of other fillings and spices, like mushrooms, chopped bell peppers, cayenne pepper, pine nuts, etc. Let your leftovers inspire you! 
Cheese Straw Heavenliness December 23, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Snacks/Party Food , add a commentOh, these are the best things ever! I am making a batch at this moment, and realized I haven’t posted them here! Oh, they are so delicious! The recipe comes from 101 Cookbooks. My notes are in blue.
Buckwheat Cheese Straws
The buckwheat flour here gives these cheese straws a depth that others made from all-purpose flour don’t have. That being said, you could certainly give these a shot using all whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour. Or experiment with other flours in place of the buckwheat flour.
1/2 cup buckwheat flour — Of course, I don’t have buckwheat flour, so I run buckwheat (easy to get in grocery stores) through my food processor for a couple of minutes. The crunchy bits left just add to the flavour!
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour – I use the “best for bread” kind we can get in Canada.
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped – I also made these with rosemary once – yum!
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) white cheddar, shredded on a box grater — I used aged cheddar
1/2 cup ice cold water
Combine the flours, salt and thyme in a bowl of a food processor. Put the 1/2 cup water in the freezer. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). Alternately, you can cut the butter in using a knife and fork. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss in the cheese. Sprinkle with ice water and use your hands or a spoon to stir it through and bring everything together into a ball of dough. Flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick square patty, wrap well in plastic, and place in the freezer for thirty minutes (or outside in a Canadian winter for five). 
In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
I find it easiest to work with one half of the dough at a time. Remove the dough from the freezer, cut in half, re-wrap the half you won’t be using immediately, and place it back in the freezer. If the dough gets too warm it is difficult to work with. On a well-floured surface roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle roughly 6×12-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Use a knife to cut 1/2-inch wide strips, each about 6-inches long. Now take a strip of dough and gently pinch it all along its length so that it is easier to roll out into a straw shape roughly 12-inches long. If the dough is giving you trouble, consider chilling it a bit longer. Place each straw on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining strips, leaving at least 1/2 inch between each straw.
Bake the straws one pan at a time for about 8-10 minutes, or until the straws look set, and the cheese is golden where it is touching the pan. Flip each straw and bake for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Keep in mind if your straws are on the thin side, they’ll bake in a flash, if they are slightly thicker they will need to go longer. Remove from oven and let cool, they will crisp more as they cool.
Sometimes I bake off half the dough, and keep the other half in the freezer for another day, but feel free to bake all of it – repeating the process with the second half of reserved dough.
Makes about 4 dozen straws.
Thank you, Heidi, for such a delicious recipe!!
Crazy Potato! August 9, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a commentIt was the week of crazy food around here! When I went to Mexico, Mary introduced me to the Papa Locas, the “crazy potato.” It’s a baked potato, with a crazy variety of toppings on it. They peel back the foil, add some crema (a thick cream they have in Mexico, similar in texture to toothpaste, not sour, just cream) and some butter and some soft cheese (again, something I’ve only had in Mexico, like a cross between cream cheese and ricota). Then they wrap it back up again in the foil, and let it warm up for all the yumminess to melt. Then, a few minutes later, they open the foil and add any or all of these toppings (depending what you want):
- shaved marinated beef
- radishes (sliced)
- lettuce
- tomatoes (diced)
That’s all I can remember, they might have also had more cheese. I’m pretty sure they add fat (beef fat) to the shaved beef to keep it moist while they warm it on the BBQ.
So, I wanted to make this at home, so I went to the deli and got some roast beef, sliced as thin as possible. I cut up some mushrooms, and cooked them in a pot with a little butter, until they released their juices and were smelling wonderful. Then, I added the beef to that, put the lid on and forgot about it. I had whipping cream for the cream, and used Ricota for the cheese, but also had sour cream and cottage cheese on standby in case someone wanted those. I had lettuce cut into small strips, and sliced radishes. I grated some mozza too, because who wouldn’t want mozza on a baked potato! After a half-hour or so, I took the beef out of the pot and cut it into slices, so it was more or less like the beef from Mexico (shaved). It was all so yummy when I put it all together! It’s a meal all in itself!
My ingredient list:
- yukon gold potatoes, wrapped in foil
- roast beef, sliced very thin
- sour cream
- whipping cream
- cottage cheese
- Ricota cheese
- butter
- lettuce (romaine)
- tomatos, diced (roma)
- radishes, sliced
- green olives, with pimento, just for fun!
Quick Rice and Chick Pea Casserole May 13, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a commentI truly invented this one… didn’t use any sort of recipe, just made this up on the fly! It turned out very tasty! It’s nutritious too, with protein, fibre, carbs and a tiny serving of vegetables (the tomato sauce).
Ingredients:
- 2 cups wild rice blend (or brown rice)
- 1 cup chick peas
- 2 cups mashed tofu (see instructions below)
- 1 cup grated cheese. I used Monterey Jack and aged cheddar, but use whatever you have handy, and add more if you like.
- 2 Tbsp ketchup or pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup of tomato/pasta sauce or 1 small can tomato paste
- small amount of chicken stock (if using tomato paste)
Instructions:
Cook the rice according to directions, stirring in the ketchup at the beginning for a little extra flavour. Remove lid, stir and allow to cool a bit. Alternately, you could use any leftover rice you have, 3-4 cups.
Cut open a package of firm tofu and drain excess water. Put tofu in a medium sized bowl and mash it with a pastry blender or potato masher. Leave some lumps in it, so that it looks almost like dry cottage cheese. Grate the cheddar and monterey jack cheese (or whatever you have) right into the bowl (just estimate the amount). Lately, if I just have a little grating to do, I use my IKEA grater, which is quicker and easier to clean than the traditional stand-up one. I just hold it in one hand and grate directly into the bowl!
If you are using tomato paste, scoop it into a smaller bowl and add a can-full of chicken stock and mix together to make sauce. Add some spices if you like. I used some leftover pizza sauce, which had oregano and basil in it, which worked great!
Combine the tofu, chick peas, rice and pasta sauce and mix together.
Put into casserole pan and into the oven, on about 350 degrees F, for just enough time to warm it through, about 15 minutes. The leftovers reheat well, if there are any! (See IKEA graters below.)
Best Nachos Ever… mmm Bacon! April 15, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Snacks/Party Food , add a commentHere’s another great recipe from Michael Smith… oh, you’ll never want to go back to regular nachos!
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Ingredients:
- 6 slices bacon, roughly chopped (I think I used almost a whole package!)
- 2 x onions, finely diced (I only used 1)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced (I used canned ones, and they seemed fine)
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 bag restaurant style tortilla chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon.
3. Let brown and then add onions and jalapeno and cook until they have softened and are beginning to caramelize.
4. Cool slightly and then pour into a bowl and add grated cheese.
5. Toss to combine.
6. Spread the tortilla chips in a single layer on a large baking sheet and top each one generously with a spoonful of the cheese mixture.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or so until chips are golden and cheese is melted and bubbling.
Superb Macaroni & Cheese March 24, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a commentI got this recipe from the Michael Smith section of foodtv. What an excellent recipe! I didn’t have the lobster of course, but it’s great anyway! I used Cavatappi pasta, which is a nice alternative to macaroni or penne (I am quite tired of penne). Also, as usual, I substituted cheeses, combining aged cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda. I’m crazy, I know! 
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
There are few things as good as a warm bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese especially when it doesn’t come out of a box! I don’t normally put lobster in mine – and this version is great without my favourite crustacean – but it’s a great way to make the ordinary extraordinary!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drop the pasta into boiling, salted water and cook until almost tender, about 12 minutes. Make sure the water tastes like a day at the beach, as the pasta will absorb it and become properly seasoned. The pasta should not be fully cooked; it should have just a touch of firmness when tasted. Drain well.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for several minutes until it softens. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, in effect toasting the mixture and adding flavour to it. Slowly stir in the wine and continue mixing until smooth and then add both milks, mixing well again. Continue whisking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add paprika, Dijon, cayenne, salt, pepper and cheeses and stir until melted.
- Roughly chop lobster meat and add to the cheese mixture along with the pasta. Stir well to combine and season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9-inch by 13-inch ovenproof casserole or similar dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake until the mixture is heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Eggs-traordinary Toasty Baskets November 3, 2008
Posted by Teresa in : Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch , add a commentThis recipe is another gem from Rachel Ray’s 365: No Repeats cookbook! Great for any meal (not just breakfast). Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
Get out your muffin tins!
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices soft white bread (but I used multigrain and it was delicious as well)!
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter (unsalted)
- 1 tomato (vine-ripened, if you have), chopped
- 4 eggs
- grated parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or other cheese
Preheat a small skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil (once round the pan) and the chopped bacon, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Add the garlic, onions, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut the crusts from the bread. With a rolling pin (or a large jar or glass), flatten each slice or bread as thins as you can get it. Nestle each thin slice of bread into the cup of a non-stick standard 1/2 cup muffin tin, pushing the bread down on the bottom of the tin and pushing it up the sides. It should be all the way up the sides, or slightly above. If the bread rips, don’t worry about it, just smoosh it together a little. If your muffin tins aren’t non-stick, put some melted butter in first, then the bread. Either way, once the bread is in, brush it lightly with melted butter.
Add the tomatoes to the bacon and onions. Turn the heat up a little to evaporate some of the liquid of the tomato, about 1 minute. Also, one time when I made these, I cheated and used bacon bits (gasp!) instead of real bacon, and it worked okay! I just don’t buy bacon very often! So I added the bacon bits now, after the tomatoes, and stirred it all together.
Working one at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and the carefully transfer to the bread-lined muffin tins. The goal is not to break the yolk. Alternately, you can scramble the egg and pour it in that way. I found that I had to pick the smallest eggs I had – the large ones would flow over the side. So, I was also thinking that if your eggs are big, you could scramble 3 and pour them into 4 muffin tins (I’m going to try this next time I make them). Anyways, you get the idea. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper. Top each egg with some of the tomato-bacon mixture (1/4 each) and then a little cheese. Place in the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes! How easy was that?!? You could also change up the ingredients a little – like using feta cheese (my idea), adding green olives or sausage instead of bacon (Rachel Ray’s idea). Experiment (but don’t go crazy)!
