Monthly Archives: October 2008

Fruit, Recipe

Apple Bundles

Leave a comment


Apple Bundles

The Pastry
4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chilled solid shortening, cut into chunks
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup ice water (more, as needed)
The Apple Filling
8 small, tart apples (2 1/2 inches in diameter),peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup packed light brown sugar (divided)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 tbsp whole milk or half and half
The Sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp Apple Brandy (or, use Apple Juice, or, 2 tbsp water plus 1/8 tsp almond extract)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or coat with spray.

To make the pastry: in a large bowl stir together the flour and salt. Add the shortening. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the almond extract into 3/4 cup of ice water. Drizzle this over the flour mixture. Toss with a fork or mix with your fingers until well incorporated and the mixture holds together. If needed, add a bit more ice water a tbsp at a time over the mixture until it holds together when pressed with your fingertips. It should not be dry. Knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Shape dough portions into 3 x 8 inch logs. Roll out one of the dough logs between sheets of parchment or waxed paper until 12 inches wide and about 12 1/2 inches long. You may have to patch the dough to make the edges of the rectangles even. Roll out any creases on the underside of the dough. Peel off the top sheet of paper gently, then pat back into place. Flip the dough, and peel off the bottom sheet. Trim if necessary, to remove uneven edges. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, cut the dough in half lengthwise and crosswise to form 6 inch squares. Repeat the process with the second dough portion.

To assemble the Apple Bundles peel the pastry squares from the paper one at a time and lay on a clean sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Center a portion of the apple mixture up in the center of each pastry square. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of brown sugar on each and top with a piece of the butter. Put more apple on top and pull the 4 corners of the pastry up and around the apple filling. Pinch the 4 seams together firmly so the apple is secured within. Trim away excess dough from the sides. Repeat with the remaining pastry and apples. Arrange in a baking dish.

You can use dough scraps cut into simple shapes to decorate the top of your bundles. Using a pastry brush, evenly brush each of the bundles with milk.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bundles are browned and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Cover with foil if you notice the dough is browning too rapidly during the final 10 to 15 minutes of baking (also, sprinkle with some Demerara sugar for an extra special effect) .

To make the sauce, stir together the brown sugar, hot water, butter, lemon juice, Apple Brandy or Apple Juice along with the cinnamon in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat, bringing to a gentle boil. Continue to boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. The sauce will be of a thin consistency. Drizzle half the sauce over the bundles as soon as you remove them from the oven. Allow them to stand for an hour prior to serving. Place the remaining sauce in a small dish to serve with the Apple Bundles.

Yields 8 servings

Loading

Main Course, Recipe

Tangy Breaded Pork Cutlet

Leave a comment

Tangy Breaded Pork Cutlet

1 lb boneless pork cutlets (4 oz each), pounded to 1/4 inch thick
2 large eggs
2 tbsp water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp Italian seasoning
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 tbsp minced basil
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and water. Place breadcrumbs on a plate and add red pepper Flakes, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper; stir to combine.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add olive oil. Take each cutlet, dip in egg wash, then into breadcrumb mixture, then into the skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard remaining breadcrumb mixture and egg wash.

Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to pan, then add minced garlic and onion. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add tomatoes, basil and white wine. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer. Return pork cutlets to skillet and cook for 2 minutes more on each side or until no longer pink in the middle.

Place a cutlet on each individual plate, and spoon tomato mixture over top. Serve alongside a green vegetable, salad, and fresh bread.

Serves: 4.

Loading

Desserts, Recipe

Mini-Carrot Cakes

Leave a comment

Mini Carrot Cakelettes

2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or real vanilla extract)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
3 cups finely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream sugar and oil until smooth (5-7 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add remainder of ingredients, making sure to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl.

Turn into prepared muffin cups, heart shaped baking pans, or mini-bundt pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool and remove from pans. Makes 30 cakelettes.

Now, when you’re working with something like shredded carrots and intricate molds such as the mini-bundts, there will be some cakelettes that simply will not loosen and come out in one piece. Have no fear, do what any good chef would do — Improvise!

Layered in a martini glass with sugar free, fat free vanilla yogurt, this makes for an elegant and tasty trifle. And no one need know this was a “mistake”!

Loading

Personal

When all hope is gone

Leave a comment

Backups say so much. Okay, Elton John, I am not.

But I did lose everything on the hard drive. According to the company:

We are sorry to inform you that no data was able to be recovered from the hard drive that you submitted for data recovery.

Cause: Track Damage
The dedicated track contains all the parameters for the hard drive data.
It is magnetic writing and is critical in finding the data which you requested. Sometimes this is caused when the Read-Write heads writes and does not stop writing, destroying the needed parameters. Sometimes this is also caused when  the plastic coating is damaged beyond repair. The plastic coating is layered over the platters protecting the magnetic material below.  This can happen when the head on the Read-Write heads gets displaced allowing metal to make contact with the platters.

I wish I could have come through for you, I know how important this Recovery was.

So, there you have it. What I haven’t been able to recreate is now gone. I had a backup of much of the stuff, which is of some comfort. I’m just thankful that my last backup actually was on September 26, ten days before the drive died. I wasn’t thinking coherently and thought my last backup was 20 days earlier than that.

All told, I’m now a more careful person with backing up my important documents and data.

Did you celebrate Thanksgiving? (Remember, Canada’s was yesterday). I did, with a feast that consisted of Cornish game hen, dressing, veggies, and apple bundles for dessert. I’ll be sure to post the recipe in the upcoming days for the bundles. They’re very tasty, and somewhat healthy!

I do have plenty in my life that I remain thankful for. You’ll hear more about this in the coming months. Just remember to do something kind for someone else. Don’t feel awkward in “paying it forward” — you might just be surprised at how the good comes back to you.


Loading

Breads, Recipe

Cranberry Sage Stuffing

Leave a comment

Cranberry Sage Stuffing

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5 large celery stalks, chopped (if you have the leaves, chop them too)
2 cups dried cranberries
4 cups white bread, toasted and cut into cubes (or, if dry enough, just crunched up)
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, separated

In a large skillet melt the butter with the olive oil, and then sauté the onion and celery together for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add dried cranberries, and 1 cup of vegetable stock. bring to a simmer for 2 minutes to help replump up dired cranberries.

Transfer everything to a large mixing bowl, and then add toasted bread, sage, eggs, and pepper. Toss together and use just enough of the remaining stock to hold everything together so that it is moist, but not dripping.

Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray, and turn out the stuffing, patting down to make sure all the stuffing is level.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until heated through and brown on top.

Loading

Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Shrimp Sofrito

Leave a comment

Shrimp Sofrito

4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb 26-30 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges, about 1/4 inch wide
1/2 red bell pepper, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper (each), seeded and cut into 1/2″ wide strips
14 ounces tomatoes (chopped, seeded and juiced) (one large beefsteak tomato, or two smaller tomatoes, as long as not hothouse)
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Cooked brown rice

Heat the oil and butter in frying pan until foamy. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and sauté over a medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn pink. Remove and keep warm in a covered bowl. Next, add onion and peppers to the pan and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until just softened but not mushy.

Stir in the tomatoes, cayenne, and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes (tomatoes will begin to break down and blend into a sauce). Add the shrimp back to the pan and stir to combine, adding Pecorino Romano and cook for one additional minute. Add salt, pepper, and cilantro, stir to incorporate, and serve with a side of brown rice.

Serves: 4.

Loading