No-Knead Ciabatta

No-Knead Ciabatta
Preparation: 5 mins , Cook Time: 25 mins Yield: Serves: 6-8
Laptop recipes as of 092809
bread
Author: Leah's Kitchen
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Total Time: 30 mins
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Steve's note: I'm not fond of whole wheat flour so I use four cups of AP.
Steve's note: I mix all the dry ingredients and then add the bottled or filtered (not tap) water.
Steve's note: If I have it on hand, I'll add a teaspoon or two of vital wheat gluten to the dry ingredients. It is not
essential but I like the results in ther crumb.
Steve's note: I spritz water on the counter and put down some plastic wrap. Then I spread some flour or corn meal
and shape the bread to the traditional 'slipper' shape, thenI dust with flour.
Next, I can slip my hands under the plastic wrap and transfer the loaf to the sheetpan that has been prepared with
parchment paper and some corn meal by using a sort of rolling or pouring motion.
Straighten out the dough and heavily dust with flour.
.........................................
1 Mix the water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.
2 Add flour one cup at a time.
3 Stir until all the flour is pretty much absorbed.
4 Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 18 hours or overnight.
5 In the morning uncover the dough and slightly pat it down with a rubber spatula to deflate it.
6 Sprinkle cornmeal onto a baking sheet.
7 With a rubber spatula scrape the wet dough out onto the pan, don't worry if it looks a little messy, straighten it out
a little with floured hands.
8 Set pan aside uncovered for 2 hours to rise (don't expect it to rise much).
9 Preheat oven to 425F an hour before the bread will be done rising.
10 Note:If you like you can sprinkle flour over the top of the risen dough right before you put it in the oven, this will
give it the nice crackly floured look when it is done.
11 Bake bread for 20-30 minutes. It will be done when the crust has a deep golden color. Enjoy!
Source: low-cholesterol.food.com

Dorie Greenspan’s Corniest Corn Muffins

Made a batch of my new

favorite corn muffins. Don't remember who turned me on to them but thanks to whomever (whoever?).


Dorie Greenspan’s Corniest Corn Muffins
Baking from My Home to Yours

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins or 48 miniature ones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons corn oil (I used olive oil since it was handy)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you’d like) – fresh, frozen or canned (in which case they should be drained and patted dry)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, if you’re using it. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (12 minutes for minis), or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. 

https://forums.craigslist.org/?ID=240277170

Fresh Ricotta and Ricotta Gnocchi

For the ricotta... Once you've made it you won't buy it any more... really simple and much better than store bought

1 gallon of whole milk
Heat until 185°F If you don't have a thermometer... just short of the boil.

Then add ⅓ cup plus 2 tbl of white vinegar ( just usually measure ⅓ cup and a slug over the pan) and stir vigorously until the curds separate.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Spoon the curds into a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth and allow to drain thoroughly..

You generally end up with one and a half to two pounds of ricotta depending on how dry you drain it... I prefer it drier so I let it drain longer.

Ricotta Gnocchi

1 pound of ricotta
1 to 1½ cups of flour
1 egg beaten
⅓ cup of grated parmesan
2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.. only add about half the flour initially and then gradually add more flour a little at a time until you get a workable dough.. the more flour you add the heavier the gnocchi become

Divide the dough in quarters and roll out one pied at a time until you have a rope about ½" in diameter. Then cut the rope into ¾" pieces.

Then form them by rolling them over the back of a fork to get the gnocchi shape.

You can cook them in boiling salted water for a couple minutes until the float or lay them out on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze.

I like to serve them with brown butter and fresh sage and topped with grated Parmesan.

Hazelnut crackers

I created these crackers to go with quince paste and Spanish cheese.

HAZELNUT CRACKERS
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warmish water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour
(I used 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup gluten flour, and 1/2 cup AP flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T unsalted butter

· Slice the hazelnuts with a sharp knife.
· Toast the hazelnuts on a sheet in a 350° oven until slightly browned and fragrant.
· "Start" the yeast, sugar and the warm water in a cup.
· Whisk together the flours and the salt.
· Cut the butter into the flour, making a crumbly mixture; use fork, fingers, or food processor.
· Stir in the hazelnuts.
· Add the yeast-water a little at a time, until the dough just forms a ball.
· You may not need all the water, or you might need to add a little more.
· Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces.
· Roll the dough out as thinly as possible on a floured surface. (for ease, roll on parchment.)
· Sprinkle sea salt on top. You could use water or egg wash to make it stick.
· Cut into cracker shapes. I used a ravioli wheel that has a curly edge.
· Prick the crackers all over with a fork.
· Place the crackers on a baking sheet and bake at 375° for about 10 minutes.
· Baking time might vary, based on the thickness of the crackers, etc.

Bacony Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 yellow onion
4 fat cloves of garlic
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
8 oz. frozen corn
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup half and half
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, and sage leaves to taste.

Give the onion a fairly course chop, and slice the carrot and celery into 1/3" pieces. Mince garlic. Cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes.

Cook the bacon in giant soup pot until quite crispy. Remove the bacon, but leave the grease. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for two minutes, then add the rest of the veggies and potatoes (except for celery) and stir to coat with bacony goodness. Once thoroughly mixed, with brown bits dredged from the bottom, add the chicken broth and bring to a medium boil for 10 minutes.

Add rosemary, thyme, sage, celery and salt, and reduce to a simmer for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, crumble the bacon and remove all the meat from the rotisserie chicken by hand (if you don't eat the skin as you go, God kills a kitten).

Add chicken to pot, along with bacon bits, and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently to help the chicken "dissolve" (this may not take as long if your chicken pieces started small).

Add half and half a minute or two before serving and enjoy with fresh ground pepper.

Georgian Cheese Bread (Russian Khachapuri)

Serves: 8

There are hundreds of recipes for this Eastern European cheese bread.

Some recipes call for yogurt or sour cream.

This "never fail" recipe is simple and does not.

Sulguni cheese is traditional but very hard to find. A mixture of havarti and "factory" mozzarella is a good substitute.

Some are made dumpling sized and some, like this one are pizza or focaccia-like.

I don't knead bread anymore so everything is done with a dough hook in my Kitchenaid 5.

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°)

1 2/3 cups AP flour plus a little more

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large or three small eggs

1/4 pound grated havarti cheese

1/4 pound packaged/shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon butter

In a bowl, sprinkle yeast over 7 tablespoons of warm water and 1 tablespoon flour, then stir and set aside for about 5 minutes.

In a KA bowl, sift in salt and flour. Add a beaten large or 2 small eggs and the yeast mixture.

Stir to mix and then start the dough hook for 5 minutes. If the dough climbs the hook, add a teaspoon of flour.

Form into a ball and dust with flour.

Let dough rest in the bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil.

Punch down with a wet fist and fold in half 4 times, once each hour, for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 500° with the oven rack in the middle position.

Lightly butter a lipped baking sheet. (just the center 14 inches is fine)

Place the dough on the sheet and flatten with your fingers into a 10 inch disk.

Lightly ball up the mixed cheeses and place the ball in middle of dough.

Then gather dough up around ball of cheese slightly overlapping each corner.

With a damp fist, press cheese out from center towards the edges. Keep pressing and flattening the loaf to form a rough round approximately 12-14 inches in diameter.

Slice the dough to just expose cheese.

Brush with an egg wash. (You can omit this and bake for 12 minutes and then brush with melted butter and return to oven for remaining baking time)

Bake for 15 minutes and take a peek. It may need up to 3 minutes more.

To serve, cut into wedges.

NUTRITION FACTSAmount per ServingCalories 139 Calories From Fat 36 % Daily Value*Total Fat 4g 6% Saturated Fat 2g 10%Cholesterol 45mg 15%Sodium 341mg 14%Total Carbohydrate 19g 6% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 0g Protein 4g Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 10% Iron 6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

English Toffee

Toffee
1½ cups Unsalted butter
2 cups Sugar
¼ cup water
3 tbls corn syrup

For the topping
12oz. Milk chocolate (either chopped bars or chips)
8oz. Toasted chopped nuts

Mix all the ingredients for the toffee in a sauce pan. Stir occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring

Heavily butter an 11×17 sheet pan

Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and continue to cook until the toffee reaches 300°F

Carefully pour the toffee into the prepared sheet pan taking care not to pour it all in one place on the pan. Tip the pan slightly if necessary to evenly spread the toffee.

After a couple minutes but while the toffee is still hot evenly spread the chocolate over the top of the toffee and spread with an offset spatula until all the chocolate has melted and the toffee is completely covered with the chocolate.


Sprinkle the chopped nuts into the melted chocolate and allow to cool completely.

Caribbean Spiced Nuts

1 envelope McCormicks Grill Mates "Spicy Caribbean" marinade
3-4 Tblsp. olive oil

**I found 1/2 a package of spice mix works well for 4 cups of unsalted mixed nuts.

Coat the nuts with olive oil, spread them in a roasting pan and roast them in the oven at 325 deg., stirring them every 10 min. Add the spices and mix thoroughly. Cool. Store in an air tight container. The nuts continue to absorb flavor so it is best to let them sit for a day before eating.

Variation: I had some candied lemon peel (leftover from making Limoncello) so I put some nuts in a small jar with the finely diced dried lemon peel just to see how it would work. It is also very good and adds just a bit of lemony sweetness to the mix. Again, let stand overnight so the nuts can absorb the flavor.

Sesame Brown Sugar Shortbreads

This recipe originally appeared in the Barbara Tropp's China Moon cookbook. The recipe calls for dark brown sugar but I've made them with light brown sugar and the results are excellent. You need quite a few sesame seeds for this recipe so you want to get them at an Asian market. They are a fraction of the price of a grocery store.


¼ lb. Cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
¼ cup Dark brow sugar
1 cup All purpose flour
¼ cup (more or less) sesame seeds

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth. (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the flour and mix until well blended about 2 minutes.

Gather the dough unto a ball and flatten slightly. Lightly dust a large piece of parchment with flour and roll out into an 11X9 rectangle ¼ inches thick.

Lightly brush the dough with water using a pastry brush and then evenly sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. I generally lightly roll the seeds into the dough with the rolling pin. Cover and refrigerate until firm ( about an hour)

Preheat the oven to 350° Line large baking sheets with parchment. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter cut the dough into 9 1" strips and then crosscut the strips into 1½" pieces. Place them ½" apart on the prepared cookies sheets.

Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack still on the cookie sheets.

Remoulade Sauce

This is a variation of an Emeral Lagasse recipe for the spicy sauce. You can vary it based on the type of mustard you use. I use all Dijon but the original calls for Creole mustard and yellow mustard in equal amounts.

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running slowly add the vegetable oil to form an emulsion. Store in the refrigerator and serve with fried or cold seafood.

Onion Strings

Onion Strings are less of a recipe and more of a technique. All you need are onions, a bit of flour, salt and pepper, optionally a pinch of cayenne and oil for deep frying. The only thing special you need is a Japanese spiral slicer. These are the gadgets sushi bars use for making the shredded daikon that is served as an accompaniment. The down side is that they are fairly expensive, you can find them in stores that sell Japanese cooking equipment and are pretty easy to find online. They are the sort of thing that if you saw an infomercial you're immediate reaction would be "yeah right". I had a friend who was a chef that had one and the first time I saw her use one, my immediate reaction was.. I've got to get one of those.

This is the slicer I have. Mine is a vertical model and they also sell horizontal ones but I don't have any experience with those.



Peel, top and tail a good sized onion. You can use any color you want. I generally just use yellow onions. Center the onion on the pin on the slicer and have the root end towards the top.



Press the retaining pins in the crank down hard into the onion. The straighter you cut the onion the more secure it is in the cutter. Turn the cutter clockwise and press down gently as you turn. The strings will come out of the bottom. Make sure you pull them out of the bottom of the cutter so they don't clog.



The finished strings. I'm usually making them just for myself, so only use one onion. It probably takes longer to wash the cutter up after you use it than it does to make the strings.



Toss the strings with flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Rice flour or corn starch also work well too. I sometimes add a pinch of cayenne as well



Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer (I use a wok) to 350° Fry the strings in batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels, season with a bit of kosher salt. You can keep them warm in a 250° oven while you cook the remaining batches.

Zhi Ma Bin (Jur Mah Been)

(Sesame Seed - Scallion Bread)

5 c flour
2 cup warm water (or 1 c warm water 1 c milk room temperature milk)
3T sugar
2 ½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Black pepper
6 T raw white sesame seeds
2 c diced green onions

Combine flour, sugar, salt in large mixing bowl. Add yeast to 1 c warm water, let sit for 2 minutes.

Add yeast to dry ingredients. Mix and add second cup of liquid (may need more) including vanilla and mix thoroughly; dough should be moist but not sticky. Turn out onto unfloured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place back in bow, cover with a damp towel, let rise until double in size.

Turn out, divide into 2 equal pieces. Knead, roll into 12” log. Flatten with rolling pin until about 6” wide x 18” long.

Brush with 1 tsp oil, sprinkle with black pepper, sprinkle with 1 c scallions. Roll tightly into a log lengthwise. Coil, spiraling upward, tuck in end. Flatten with hands, lightly flour surface, roll out into a disc (roughly 1” thick). Spritz/brush lightly with water, sprinkle 3 T sesame seeds and press lightly into dough

Transfer to baking dish sesame seed-side up.

Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden.
(We used cake pans and made 3)

Hrin (beets)

Hrin (beets condiment)
Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: ETHNIC RUSSIAN

This is a terrific traditional Russian holiday food.

Served as a small side to the Easter meal or slathered on a "leftovers" sandwich with ham and hrutka.

This is one of my favorites.It resembles that chopped up jello whipped cream goo that the church ladies serve at funeral brunches.

Serves: 64 1 T = 1 serving

3 14 1/2-ounce cans sliced or whole beets OR 2 pounds cooked fresh beets for lower sodium content.
1 pint sour cream
3 Tablespoons horseradish plus more to taste
Vinegar (optional)

Finely chop beets or grind in an old fashion meat grinder.

Do not use the blade of a food processor without pulsing. The beets turn to mush.

Whole fresh or whole canned beets can be processed using the shredder disk of the processor and then chopped very fine.

Drain in a colander to let juices drip out. Even dry the chopped beets a bit with paper towel.

In a bowl, gently mix the beets, sour cream, prepared horseradish and optional vinegar.Let sit a few minutes to let flavor develop.

Add more horseradish to taste.

Keeps for a week in the fridge

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per ServingCalories 54 Calories From Fat 21 % Daily Value*Total Fat 2g 3% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Cholesterol 19mg 6% Sodium 875mg 36%Total Carbohydrate 2g 1% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 1g Protein 5g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2%Calcium 0% Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

HRUTKA (Egg Cheese Ball)

HRUTKA (Egg Cheese Ball)

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: ETHNIC RUSSIAN

This food is traditionally served as a side for the Easter meal.

"Leftovers" ham sandwiches get a slice of Hrutka and a slather of "Hrin"

Great any time of year.

Eaten as a side to a meal or as a condiment in a sandwich.

Cholesterol is high but carbs are not.

Serves: 15


1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl beat a dozen shelled, large or jumbo eggs.

Place the eggs, salt and milk in a heavy pot.Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture looks like "curds and whey"

Prepare a colander with a few layers of cheese cloth or very clean old "T" shirt material.In the prepared colander, pour in the curds and let the whey flow through.

Tie off the cloth so the cheese ball can be hung and allowed to drain for a few hours.

Minnesota at Easter time usually gives cool temperatures so I have a nail in the garage rafters dedicated for this purpose.

In warm temperatures, some method of draining in a refrigerator is necessary.

To serve, slice the ball in half or in thirds and then at 90° to make fairly unform slices.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving Daily Value*
Calories 77 Calories from Fat 32%
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 173mg 58%
Sodium 243mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
DietaryFiber 0g 0%
Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 7%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 10%
Iron 3%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Burek (Borek)

Burek (Borek) or a few other names is a pastry showing roots in European countries all the way to Turkey, Greece and that area of the world.

• It is more assembly than cooking or baking a recipe but it does involve rolling phyllo sheets so it is a little tricky until you get the hang of it.


• When making the pastry, I lay one or two sheets of phyllo dough on a tea towel that just overhangs the counter edge.


• I then brush melted butter on phyllo.


• For cheese filling, I pipe a line from left to right but not quite to the edges. (I use a zip lock bag with a corner cut off)


• Then I take hold of the left and right edges of the towel nearest my stomach and gently lift so the phyllo rolls to a cigar shape.


• Cut the cigar shaped pastry in half at the middle so there are two pieces. Roll like a snail shape and place on a small sheet pan.


• Brush all with melted butter and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

The technique is similar for any other filling.

My cheese filling...

16 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces Cream cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

1/4 Cup Chopped parsley

1 T Dill weed

Cream the cheeses in a food processor.

Add eggs, parsley and dill weed.

Continue processing and then place in a zip top bag with the corner clipped for piping.

...............................................................................................................................................

Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet) has a recipe for a meat filling that is pretty standard. Liberties can be taken with usually good results.

These baked meat rolls are shaped like snails and filled with a flavorful ground beef mixture. Serve as an entree or make smaller versions for appetizers.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 box phyllo pastry sheet (12 inches x 17 inches) 3/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onion until soft, and then add the ground beef, allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is crumbly but not dry. Cool completely before you continue. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with some of the butter. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture across the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from edge. Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape. Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a snail shape. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling. Brush with additional butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden. Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent in from drying out. Hint on handling phyllo dough: Be sure the dough is at room temperature before you open the box. Place the sheets of dough on a large cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap and then a heavy towel. In this way, they will not dry out while you are working with them. Work fast for best results and do not have the butter too hot when brushing the dough. Yield: 18 to 20 Recipe Source: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith

Paella

Paella

Book: SteveChapter: MAIN COURSE
Serves: 6

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish often cooked outdoors on a fire. In the summertime, using my gas grill keeps me from heating up the kitchen. Making it indoors in the oven and on the stovetop works fine.

There are probably as many recipes for Paella as there are cooks that make it.

The more authentic way of preparing it calls for the formation of a slightly crispy, crunchy layer called socorrat. People do, sometimes, make it without the socorrat, probably because it is a little more difficult and if the cook isn't careful the batch can end up burnt. The socorrat has a very nice texture and is much sought after by purists.

Paella is is a very forgiving dish that adapts well to what items are available.

I use a 15 inch diameter Paella pan that can be placed on two burners of my gas stove at once during the socorrat forming stage.

I also make a different recipe that I cloned from a Mexican restaurant for those that like a Mexican "take" on the dish. That one calls for flat leaf parsley or cilantro and some red and also some green, canned jalapenos.

This recipe for six allows for "seconds" or could accommodate a few more people.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

20 shellfish

2 Spanish Chorizo sausages, browned and cut into chunks. This is sometimes hard to find in Minnesota and a good substitute is a mild Italian sausage.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips18 raw, shrimp, deveined.

Some people like peeled shrimp. Un-peeled has a different flavor when cooked and, I think, a nice rustic presentation.

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon saffron threads

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 cups medium grained rice . Bomba is traditional. Any hard grain medium rice will work fine. Short grain seems to work well too.

6 cups chicken broth

1 small, green,red,yellow, orange pepper cut into strips. If you can get the Costco bags of mini peppers, they actually work better at a lower cost.

4 ounces peas

Lemon wedges, to garnish

Serves: 6-8

Preparation

Preheat oven to 225°
Prep the items.
Scrub and debeard the mussels. Scrub clams, discard any that don't close when tapped. Steam in water, wine, chicken broth or a combination. Set aside. Note: Some cooks put the shellfish directly in the pan but I have overcooked them, on occasion, that way.

Slice the chicken into strips. Half (partial) cook in oil. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the Paella pan

If the sausages are raw, brown them in a pan, cut into 1 inch chunks and set aside.
If you use the Paella pan for browning, leave the fond or "little bits" in the pan for extra flavor. You might need to deglaze to prevent them from burning during the rest of the cooking process.

Wash the shrimp. At least devein. Peel, if you prefer. Set aside.

Heat the paella pan on the stove to medium. Add the oil and bring temperature.

Sauté onions for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.

Add the rice and allow a few grains to toast.

Pour in one half of the chicken broth.

Add the spices & tomatos and stir.

While the dish is coming to temperature, arrange the peppers, sausage, shrimp and chicken in a spoked pattern.

Place the paella pan in the oven, uncovered.
Add the rest of the broth.

After 20 or 25 minutes test the rice for doneness. If too dry, add a little water or broth.

Arrange the shellfish in the pan, placing a teaspoon of the steaming liquid on each one.

Sprinkle the pan with the peas.

Cover the pan and place on burners over medium heat.
Turn the pan 1/8 turn after each 60 seconds.

When you smell the rice getting toasty and hear the crackle, the socorrat is forming, so take a little peek with a spatula. If it has formed, you are ready to garnish and serve.

Lemon Risotto

(I like mine less soupy than most people.)


this recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine. I copied it here from Epicurious.

The recipe said it would make 4 main course servings, but I halved the recipe, added some chopped asparagus and a little cooked chicken, and got three very substantial servings. It took a lot longer than 35 minutes for the rice to absorb all the broth, and I ended up adding about 3.5 or maybe even four cups rather than the 3 called for (since I halved the recipe.) I think this would be great with fish or shrimp. I also want to try it with fresh spring peas.

Ingredients:
6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions:
Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Shorties

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Shorties
Book: steve's recipes 3

Chapter: Cookies
Serves: 36

This shortbread cookie recipe was posted on CL 22 by claymonkey, linked to smittenkitcen.com crediting as being adapted from Gourmet.

People had trouble with texture and difficulty in baking these.

I have reworked and modified the recipe, keeping most of smittenkitchen.com's text.

This modified recipe seems to work very well.

They are NOT diabetic friendly.

8 ounces unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups AP flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher)

Kosher Salt to finish the roll

Demerara or other coarse sugar to finish roll

Cut butter into four or five pieces and cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has a nutty fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a light brown, anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes.

It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning.

Transfer butter to a bowl and chill until just firm, about 1 hour.

Beat (cream) together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.

Beat in vanilla and egg, then mix in flour, corn starch and salt at low speed until just combined.

Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper or parchment and form into a 18-inch log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Unwrap dough and roll it in coarse sugar and Kosher salt and press the granules in with the paper you’d been using to wrap it.

Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, arranging 1 1/2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.

Bake until surface is dry and edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes.

Let sit on sheet for a minute before transferring to a rack to cool. (Cookies will quite fragile at first, but will firm up as they cool.)

Dough keeps, chilled, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to one month. Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

NUTRITION FACTS Amount per Serving

Calories 57

Calories From Fat 16 %

Total Fat 2g 3%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 31mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 5g

Protein 0g

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Reuben Sandwich Soup

Reuben Sandwich Soup
Book: Steve 2008
Chapter: Soup
Serves: 10
There are a lot of recipes on the net for "Reuben" Soup.After a little "trial and error", this is the one I settled on. Not very carby but pretty hefty on the fats. If you need low sodium, this won't work for you because of the salt in the broth, sauerkraut and corned beef.Freezes pretty well. There is a little texture loss with the cheeses. It's so good, you may not have any left to freeze.
1 49 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat", home made broth or stock would be better.
12 ounces cooked corned beef brisket or deli corned beef, chopped
114 1/2-ounce can sauerkraut
1 ounce oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water (for corn starch)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 ounces shredded carrots
12 ounces "process" Swiss cheese (melts a little creamier than natural)
8 ounces shredded,natural Swiss cheese (better flavor than using all process cheese)
1 cup cream
10 ounces rye croutons (easy to make your own from pumpernickel bread)

In a soup pot, sweat the onion and garlic in a little oil.
Add the chicken stock, beef brisket, sauerkraut, onion, garlic, thyme, tarragon, white pepper, andbay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 30minutes.
Remove bay leaf.
In a small bowl, stir the cold water and cornstarch.Add cornstarch mixture and carrots into soup. Cook and stir until thickenedand bubbly, approximately 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add the Swiss cheeses.While frequently stirring,cook until melted.
While constantly stirring, add whipping cream and bring to temp.
Place an ounce of rye croutons in each serving bowl and ladle soup.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per Serving
Calories 527
Calories From Fat 345 % Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 57%
Saturated Fat 19g 94%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 1330mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars 2g
Protein 16gVitamin A 63%
Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 50%
Iron 2%*
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Vance's Creamy Cilantro Soup

CREAMY CILANTRO SOUP

6 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro 2 cups (packed)
fresh Italian parsley
6 oz. cream cheese, cubed
7 oz. goat cheese (chevre)
1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds, toasted
1 fresh marjoram sprig Fried
julienned tortilla for garnish

Combine 2 cups broth, 2 cups cilantro, parsley, goat cheese and cream cheese in blender; blend until smooth. Heat 4 1/2 cups broth in large saucepan. Whisk in herb-cheese mixture and marjoram. Simmer 25 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer 1 cup soup and remaining 2 cups cilantro to blender, puree until smooth. Add puree to soup in pan, season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to sommer, thinning with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with almonds and tortilla strips.

OPTIONS Use all goat cheese Omit cheese and garnish with gorgonzola Use other herbs instead of cilantro: arugula, basil, etc.