Mille Feuille

New: November 2021

Ingredients

For the Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk 473mL

1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar 135g

1/4 cup cornstarch 37g

1 tbsp unsalted butter 15g, cold

For the Pastry

1 package frozen puff pastry (need to thaw in fridge for at least 2-3 hours)

For the Icing

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

For the Pastry Cream

Slice a vanilla bean down the middle and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

Transfer the milk and vanilla seeds to a medium pot and place over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil whisking occasionally then immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the sugar and corn starch together then add the egg yolks and whisk until light and fluffy.

Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan.

Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. 

Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Chill at least 2 hours or until cooled.

For the Pastry Layers

Preheat oven to 400F.

Measure first! This recipe makes about 9 pastries so that means you need 27x rectangles

Roll out to about 1/16 an inch then use a knife or pizza cutter to cut 2x4 inch rectangles.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then place the first batch of rectangles about 2 inches apart. Place another sheet of parchment on top then cover with another baking sheet.

Bake for about 11 minutes rotating tray halfway through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat process with 1/2 of the remaining sheet of puff pastry for the additional rectangles. You can clean up the edges with a sharp knife if desired.

For the Glaze

Add the powdered sugar to a large bowl then pour in the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk whisk together and add more milk as needed. You want a spreadable consistency but not a watery "flooding" consistency.

Transfer about 1/3 cup of the glaze to a different bowl and add the cocoa powder an another tablespoon of milk. Whisk together until smooth. Add more milk as needed so the chocolate glaze matches the vanilla glaze in consistency.

Transfer each batch of icing to a piping bag. You can use a small round tip like a #4 for the chocolate or just snip the tip off.

For the Assembly

Lay out 9 rectangles onto a wire rack over a piece of paper. Spread the vanilla icing onto each rectangle then pipe stripes of chocolate onto each one. Use a toothpick, skewer, or knife to create the chevron pattern by dragging the tool across the chocolate stripes in alternating directions. Set aside to set.

You can speed things up by arranging the tops in a grid where they're all touching then pipe the chocolate and create the chevrons.

Whip the cream and powdered sugar together until somewhat stiff peaks form. Whip the chilled pastry cream to break it up and smooth it out 

Pipe 8 dollops of pastry cream onto the first piece of puff pastry. Place another piece of pastry on top then pipe eight more dollops and add the top on. 

Originally from: https://preppykitchen.com/mille-feuille/

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1 small heirloom tomato

1/4 c red onion

Juice from half a lime

Squid Ink Pasta Sauce

new: dec 2021

Olive oil in hot pan

Add two thinly sliced onions, cook at low heat

Chop 4-8 garlic cloves, add to pan

Cook on low

Add 2-3 chopped heirloom tomatoes (small)

Add 1 heaping Tb of tomato paste

Add dash of chili flakes

Add large splash of heavy cream

Add 250 g of cooked squid ink pasta

Add half lemon of juice

Serve with cooked shrimp, scallops, salmon or mix

melody recipe

 Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can cooked chickpeas (OR 1 heaping half cup dried soaked overnight)

4 tablespoons chickpea liquid from can

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons of roasted garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini paste

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup Greek yogurt

Salt to taste

Garnish: olive oil, sumac, olives, chickpeas

Instructions

Pulse the garlic cloves in the food processor until finely chopped.

Add the chickpeas and pulse until crushed.

Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chickpeas, and some olives. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with veggies, pita chips, or breadsticks.

Notes

Store leftover hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Originally from: https://www.dimitrasdishes.com/creamy-greek-style-hummus-with-yogurt/

 Emoji Cake

Japanese Strawberry Cake

Japanese Strawberry Sponge Cake (Strawberry Shortcake)

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Sponge Cake Cooling Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hrs 5 mins

Japanese sponge cakes have in general lighter and softer texture than those I find in Australia, and possibly other Western countries. The texture is almost like my Cotton Cheesecake. The most popular sponge cake in Japan is by far the Strawberry Sponge Cake, aka Strawberry Shortcake.

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: japanese cake, sponge cake, strawberry cake

Serves: 8

Author: Yumiko

Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)

Sponge Cake

125g / 4.4oz all-purpose flour sifted 3 times

100g / 3.5oz sugar (note 1)

4 eggs , yolks and whites separated

60g / 2.1oz butter , melted

Butter and flour to coat inside the cake pan

Decoration

18 strawberries (mid-size, note 2)

300ml / 0.6pt cream for whipping (note 3)

10g / 0.4oz sugar

Syrup (optional, note 4)

40ml / 1.4oz water

10g / 0.4oz sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 356°F.

Coat the inside of an 18cm / 7" cake tin (note 5) with butter, dust with flour, then shake off the excess flour.

Put the egg yolks in a bowl, add ⅔ of the sugar and beat the egg yolks until they become whitish and thick. Draw a ribbon with the whisk and if the ribbon disappears slowly, it is ready.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white. When the small bubbles form and the volume of the egg white doubles, add the remaining sugar in 2-3 batches and beat further to make meringue.

When the meringue becomes firm and it can form a peak when you lift the whisk (see the step-by-step photo in the post), it is ready.

Put the flour through the sifter and add to the egg yolk. Fold the batter with a spatula.

Transfer ⅓ of the meringue to the batter and mix with a whisk until the batter becomes smooth.

Add the remaining meringue to the batter in 2-3 batches and fold.

Pour the melted butter into the batter and fold several times. It's OK even if the butter is not completely mixed.

Pour the batter into the cake tin. Drop the tin onto the work bench to settle the batter in the tin, then, cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Insert a thin bamboo skewer in the centre of the cake to see if the skewer comes out dry. If the skewer is a bit wet, cook further 5 minutes.

Take the tin out of the oven and drop the tin onto the work bench. Remove the cake from the tin and let it cool completely on a rack, upside down (bottom side up).

Decorating the cake (do the steps 1 and 2 while cooling the sponge cake)

Put the Syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. When the sugar dissolved, turn the heat off.

Whip the cream until soft peak forms. Wipe the strawberries with a wet kitchen paper, remove the stems and halve 10 strawberries.

Leave the sponge cake upside down as is and slice it horizontally in half (note 6), remove the top half and place it next to the bottom half of the cake, cut side up.

Using a brush, coat the cut surface of the two sponge cakes with the syrup gently.

Drop about 3 heaped tablespoons of the whipped cream on the bottom half of the sliced cake and spread it to cover the entire surface. Fill the surface with the halved strawberries, without a gap as much as possible.

Drop about 4 heaped tablespoons of the whipped cream on and spread it to cover the strawberries and the round edge.

Place the top half of the cake on it, syrup side down. Gently press down, making sure the top and bottom cakes are aligned. Fill the gap around the strawberry filling on the side with whipped cream.

(optional) Thinly coat the top and the side of the cake with whipped cream. It is OK not to completely cover the sponge. Leave the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes (note 7).

Using a cake spatula or a long flat spatula, fully cover the top and the side of the cake with the remaining whipped cream, leaving some (about minimum of 4-5 tablespoons) for piping.

Put the remaining cream in a piping bag with a round nozzle. Squeeze out the cream to make a mound of cream in 8 positions around the edge of the surface. Place a strawberry on each mound.

Recipe Notes

1. My cake is not too sweet. If you prefer it sweeter, increase the quantity of sugar up to 125g / 4.4oz.

2. My 18 strawberries weighed about 450 / 1lb. I used halved strawberries as fillings but if you slice them, you can reduce the number of strawberries.

Instead of strawberries, you can use other berries to make it a mixed berry shortcake (see the photo in the post), or different fruits such as sliced peaches, kiwifruits, pineapples, oranges, grapes, or all of these mixed together!

3. Amount of whipped cream varies depending on the size of the cake tin, how tall your cake is and how much cream you put on the cake.

4. I did not use it but you can add a small amount (½ teaspoon) of liquor of you choice if you want.

5. I tried with a springform cake tin as well as a non-springform tin. The springform tin leaves a dent at the bottom of the cake when cooked so, I prefer a non-springform tin. There is no problem removing the baked cake out of the non-springform tin.

The size of the tin can be up to 21cm / 8". Any larger than that will make the cake thin, and it will not be easy to slice into two layers.

6. The easiest way to slice the round cake horizontally is to make a shallow cut around the side of the cake first, then slide the knife deeper into the centre ensuring that the blade traces the initial cut.

7. This will make the remaining whipped cream stick easier, particularly on the side.

8. My method of making a sponge cake is to beat the egg yolks and whites separately. There is another method of making the batter by beating whole eggs. If you want to use this method, here are the steps to replace the steps 3-9 in my recipe:

1) Put the eggs in a bowl, mix, then add sugar. Beat the eggs over a 60°C / 140°F water bath.

2) When the egg mixture is warmed up to around body temperature, remove the bowl from the water bath.

3) Continue to beat until the egg mixture cools down and becomes thick whitish batter. When you draw a ribbon with the whisk, the trace of the ribbon should slowly disappear.

4) Add the flour through a sifter to the batter and fold it in with a spatula. Add butter and fold several times.

9. You should consume the cake within 2 days. Although the sponge cake will keep longer, the flavour of the strawberries and cream start degrading on 3rd day.

10. Nutrition per serving.

serving: 146g calories: 346kcal fat: 22g (34%) saturated fat: 13g (65%) trans fat: 0.7g polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g monounsaturated fat: 6g cholesterol: 152mg (51%) sodium: 95mg (4%) potassium: 151mg (4%) carbohydrates: 31g (10%) dietary fibre: 1.2g (5%) sugar: 18g protein: 6.2g vitamin a: 18% vitamin c: 40% calcium: 3.8% iron: 7.6%

Originally from: https://japan.recipetineats.com/japanese-strawberry-sponge-cake-strawberry-shortcake/

New: Oct 2021

 INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine or broth

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

 Freshly ground black pepper

1 ¾ pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled

⅓ cup chopped parsley

 Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

 Cooked pasta or crusty bread

PREPARATION

In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.

Originally from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9101-classic-shrimp-scampi

Used 1.2 kg of wings and 4 t of baking powder.

Next time 2 lbs of chicken probably enough.

https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-20701

Rhubarb Galette 

Julia Child? Can't remember recipe, but it used almond flour

1 lb Chinese or Korean Rice Cake - 450 gr

2 Tbsp cooking oil - divided

3 cloves garlic - finely chopped or grated

1 lb  baby bok choy - 450 gr (suggest 600 g)

1/4 cup chicken broth (or shiitak water)

Added: ginger, shiitakes, one yellow onion

Seasonings:

2 Tbsp soy sauce dark

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tsp black vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

white pepper

Can add less salt, leave out sugar

If you get the refrigerated rice cakes or dried rice cakes, soak them in the water for at least 2 hours (overnight for dried rice cakes). If you use frozen ones, thaw in the refrigerator and then soak

Drain off the soaking water and the rice cakes are ready to be used

1. Preheat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to cover the base of the skillet or wok. Add chicken and stir fry until the chicken pieces turn opaque and cook through. Dish out the cooked chicken

OR

Add tofu/soaked shiitake mushrooms

2. Wipe the wok clean if necessary. Bring the skillet/wok back to high heat. Add another 1 Tbsp of cooking oil. Add garlic and stir fry for about 20 seconds. Add the bok choy and stir fry another minute

3. Add rice cakes, seasonings, and broth. Give them a quick stir. Cover with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes or until the rice cakes soften

4.Uncover the lid and give it a good stir to mix everything. Add the chicken/mushrooms/tofu back into the skillet/wok and give it a stir. 

Garnish with chopped green onion and serve warm

https://drivemehungry.com/stir-fried-shanghai-rice-cakes-chao-nian-gao/

https://whattocooktoday.com/stir-fried-nian-gao-rice-cakes.html

Sheet Pan Tandori Chicken

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons organic canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (a mix of breasts, split and cut in half, thighs, and legs)

3/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets

4 cups 1-inch broccoli florets

8 small cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or cumin seeds

1/2 cup red onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced into thin half-moons

Mango Chutney (homemade or your favorite store-bought chutney)

PREPARATION

In a small skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring continuously, until light brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chili powder, garam masala, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, the paprika, and turmeric and cook, stirring continuously, for an additional minute. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and the spice mixture and stir to combine.

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of each piece of chicken, making two or three shallow cuts about 1 inch apart. Add the chicken and potatoes to the bowl with the spiced yogurt and massage the yogurt into the chicken until all the pieces are well coated. Transfer the chicken, potatoes, and spiced yogurt to a large zip-top freezer bag and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Set a rack in the upper-third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons canola oil, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, the fenugreek seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and mix well.

Remove the marinated chicken from the bag, letting any excess marinade drip off, and arrange the pieces skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the potatoes in and around the chicken. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and place the vegetables in a single layer in any spaces around the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and switch the oven to broil.

Sprinkle the red onion over the chicken and vegetables, return the baking sheet to the oven, and broil until the chicken is lightly charred and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with mango chutney, if desired. 

from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tandoori-chicken-and-vegetable-sheet-pan-supper

New Joe's

Joe's Special (Scrambled Eggs with Spinach, Beef, and Mushrooms)

PREP TIME 10 mins

COOK TIME 30 mins

TOTAL TIME 40 mins

SERVINGS 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, divided

6-ounce bag (8 cups) baby spinach

1 pound (85 to 95%) lean ground beef (use turkey instead of beef)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, optional

Sliced sourdough bread or rolls, to serve

Method

Cook the mushrooms, if using:

Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms into the skillet in a single layer and leave them alone, without stirring, until they begin to brown, about five minutes.

Cook the onions:

Add the onions, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the garlic has lost its raw bite, about five more minutes.

Wilt the spinach:

Add the spinach to the skillet, stirring it into the other ingredients for a couple minutes so that it wilts and reduces in volume.

When the spinach has just barely wilted, transfer everything from the skillet to a large, shallow serving bowl.

Cook the ground beef:

Add the ground beef to the empty skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt over top. Cook the beef, breaking it up with your spatula into crumbles.

Continue to cook until the beef is fully cooked through with no trace of pink remaining, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the cooked beef to the serving bowl with the sautéed vegetables. Pour off any fat still in the pan, leaving just a thin film to cook the eggs. (Add a teaspoon of cooking oil or butter if the pan seems dry.)

Scramble the eggs:

Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium low. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with tabasco, just until thoroughly combined.

Pour the eggs into the skillet, and scramble just until the curds are barely wet and beginning to break apart, stirring often, about five minutes.

Mix everything together and serve:

Add the cooked beef and vegetables back to the skillet, breaking up the eggs into bite sized pieces and stirring everything together until evenly combined.

Transfer everything back to the serving bowl and serve hot, with sourdough bread alongside.

originally from: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/joes_special_scrambled_eggs_with_spinach_beef_and_mushrooms/