Don't let your eyes refuse to see Don't let your ears refuse to hear...

Onion pie in a scone crust!! This is sheer decadence to me, seeing as I adore onions. The flavors in this pie are so simple yet so delicious, and the scone crust takes it over the top. The crust is seasoned with dry mustard to give it a sharp edge, and both the pie and the filling contain Gruyere cheese. The onions take on the flavor of fresh thyme, this is truly melt in your mouth goodness. I served this pie with pork tenderloin, it was a fabulous combination. This is an excellent reminder to me that sometimes the simplest of ingredients can produce the most magnificent flavors. This would also make a lovely addition to a brunch buffet, or served alone at lunch with a garden salad. You must try this one!! Enjoy.

for the onion filling:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 or 2 large white onions (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), each cut lengthwise into 12 wedges and layers separated

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus a couple sprigs for garnish

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces (3/4 cup) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

      

       for the scone crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces (1/2 cup) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3/4 cup buttermilk, shaken

3/4 teaspoon dry (ground) mustard

Heat oven to 400°F.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Take skillet off the heat. 

Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper. Let cool.

Mix cheese with onion. Spread into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch glass pie plate.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Add cheese and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk buttermilk and dry mustard together in a small bowl before adding to the dough mixture, then pulse until liquid is mixed in and dough starts to clump. Don’t let it form into a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, folding the dough over on itself a few times to lightly knead. Roll the dough into a ball. Cover the dough loosely in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Flatten out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, using a rolling pin to form the dough into a 10-inch round. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap, and flip the dough onto the onion in the pie plate. Peel off last layer of plastic wrap and use your fingers to tuck in dough around the side of the pie.

Bake pie in the middle of the oven until crust is golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pie on a rack or pot holder for a few minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pie to loosen, then place a plate over the pie and flip the pie onto the plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and garnish with a few sprigs fresh thyme. Serve warm.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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A lady that I know just came from Colombia. She laughed because I did not understand...

Fatayer is a meat pie pastry that can alternatively be stuffed with spinach, or cheese. It is part of Middle Eastern cuisine and is eaten in Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and other countries in the region. I have recently just become aware of these little delights. I am reading a novel set in Lebanon (Agents of Innocence), and the characters are always eating this typical street food. Naturally I had to do some research to find out what the heck they were. As you know I am constantly trying to create street food from around the world. The dough is similar to puff pastry, just slightly more dense. Some are open (this is what I chose), and some are closed pockets, a personal preference. The typical meat choice is lamb (I used this), seasoned heavily with spices ranging from cinnamon to cayenne. Do not be discouraged by the array of spices in the dish, they all marry beautifully. As much as I enjoy Indian street food, I might like these better. I was truly impressed with the outcome, and will certainly be making them again. I have also attached my second attempt at Popsicles. This time mango coconut, it was an excellent pairing with the fatayers. 

1 Cup flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

3 oz plain yogurt (slightly less than 3/4 Cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

lukewarm water (as needed)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 lb ground lamb 

1/2 onion grated

2 cloves of garlic grated

2 T tomato paste

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 bunch of fresh cut parsley

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of crushed chilies

1-2 teaspoons of salt

Mix flour with sugar, salt and yeast. Gradually add the yogurt and olive oil. You want the dough to be smooth, so add water accordingly. You do not want it to be too soft and sticky, slightly crumbly is ok. Place dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise, double in size. About 30 min.

In the meantime prepare the stuffing. Finely dice onion and garlic, saute in olive oil. Once translucent add lamb, and cook thoroughly. Next add tomato paste, herbs and spices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When dough has risen on a floured surface divide it into 5 parts and form ovals. Brush each oval with olive oil, and place lamb mixture in the center. Fold up the sides pinching two edges, forming a boat like shape. Top with a slice of tomato.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 min, until pastry has puffed and is slightly golden.

Mango Puree

1 ripe mango, diced into chunks (reserve 1/4 of diced mango for coconut milk with mango)

1/4 cup orange juice

In a blender, blend together the mango and orange juice until smooth and pour-able (about the consistency of baby food).

Coconut Milk with Mango

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 of the reserved mango, diced into small pieces

Whisk together the coconut milk and sugar. Stir in the mango pieces.

For Popsicles

1 cup orange juice

To Assemble

Pour a few spoonfuls of mango puree, coconut milk with mango, or orange juice into the Popsicle molds. Freeze for 1 hour before repeating, alternating between flavors and size of spoonfuls to create stripes. Freeze for 30-45 min between stripes.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Where it all ends I can't fathom, my friends. If I knew, I might toss out my anchor...

Today I have a Thai inspired flatbread with a delicious peanut sauce as the base. The flatbread I used is the recipe that I have utilized in many previous posts, the only change is I did not add any herbs to the dough. I grilled the flatbread but baked it with the sauce and toppings, but you could certainly grill the entire dish. Also, if you wanted a shortcut as far as the bread making I believe you could use store bought Naan bread (Indian flatbread). The toppings are simple: chicken, red bell pepper, Serrano pepper (you can omit this if intimidated by heat),carrots, and a garnish of cilantro. The true flavor comes from the peanut sauce comprised of peanut butter, soy sauce, chili flakes, rice wine vinegar, and brown sugar to name a few. The peanut sauce is actually delicious on chicken breasts, vegetables, or even sandwiches. This is an excellent flatbread to entertain with as it slightly out of the ordinary.  

Ingredients

The peanut sauce:

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 tbsp soy sauce 

1 1/2 tsp water

2 1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1 1/2 tsp packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp chili garlic sauce or red chile flakes

The flatbread:

4 pieces flatbread (recipe can be found by clicking on "Bread" on the right hand side of my blog)

2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 large carrot, peeled & cut into matchsticks

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup minced cilantro

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

The peanut sauce:

In a blender, combine sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, canola oil, brown sugar, ginger and chili garlic sauce. Blend until smooth.

The flatbread:

Lay 2 pieces of flatbread on a flatbread on a baking sheet.

Spread 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce on each piece of flatbread.

Divide half of the chicken, red bell pepper, Serrano, carrots, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly between the 2 pieces of flatbread.

Place the baking sheet in the oven.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the flatbread is golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the flatbreads to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Slice the flatbreads and garnish with minced cilantro. Serve.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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These are the seasons of emotion, and like the winds, they rise and fall...

I was riding my bicycle the other day and stopped at a yard sale (it was a really nice house). I found it was an estate sale...my precious find was this large plate with 4 matching square plates. I told them I would be back in 5 minutes, so I hopped back on the bike and rode to my house. I popped in the car to go pick them up, a steal for $7. The set screamed dessert to me, so I decided to take on a feat that I have been avoiding...angel food cake. Angel food cake and I have a love hate relationship, I love to eat it but have had many failed attempts at baking one. My pan was buried in the cabinet, so I retrieved it and decided today was the day. At last it came out beautifully. I topped it with a simple lemon pistachio glaze, now I have a new favorite cake. I have decided the key to this task is being delicate and patient. The cake is light and airy, perfect for brunch.

Cake:

1 cup cake flour 

1 cup  granulated sugar, divided

1/8 teaspoon salt

10 large egg whites, room temperature

finely grated zest of 2 large lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Lemon syrup and glaze:

½ cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

½ cup unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted and cooled, finely chopped

½ cup powdered sugar

For cake:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Have ready a 25cm diameter angel food pan with 10cm high sides and removable bottom.

Sift flour, ½ cup sugar and salt into medium bowl; repeat sifting 3 times. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium speed in large bowl until frothy (mixture may turn bright yellow but color will change when remaining ingredients are added). Add cream of tartar; increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle 1/3 of flour mixture over whites and gently fold in until incorporated. Fold in remaining flour mixture in 2 more additions just until incorporated. Transfer to cake pan and smooth the top.

Bake cake until pale golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Immediately invert cake onto work surface if pan has feet, or invert center tube of pan onto neck of bottle or metal funnel and cool cake completely.

Using long thin knife, cut around cake sides and center tube to loosen. Lift out center tube with cake still attached; run knife between cake and bottom of pan to loosen. Invert cake onto rack, then turn cake over, rounded side up, onto serving plate.

Lemon syrup and glaze:

Combine the granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in small saucepan; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Brush syrup all over top and sides of cake. Immediately press pistachios onto top and sides of cake, pressing to adhere.

Stir powdered sugar with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Let stand until glaze sets, about 10 minutes.

Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead – cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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And givin' yourself to me can never be wrong...

Two for one today. First southwest corn cakes with zucchini salsa followed by squash chips. Let's start with the corn cakes, these morsels are loaded with flavor. The cakes main components are corn, cilantro, and lime juice. The true pop arrives when topped with the zucchini salsa, highlighted with onion, jalapeno and goat cheese. If goat cheese is not your cup of tea, it could be replaced by any soft Mexican cheese (queso fresco would be great). The cakes would make a perfect summer lunch with a salad, or could be a hearty side dish. Now, for the chips...Anyone that knows me, knows my greatest weakness is potato chips. Forget the chocolate just give me salt. I have now discovered a healthy way to satisfy my crunchy salty cravings, baked squash and zucchini chips. I sliced them as thin as possible, then tossed the veggies in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I baked them at a low temperature for a few hours, they are awesome. I served them with a dip consisting of Greek yogurt, curry powder, salt, and freshly chopped cilantro. I hope you find both of these as enjoyable as I did.

Corn Cakes:

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ears sweet corn

2/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil.

Zucchini Salsa:

2 cups cubed zucchini

1/2 medium red onion, roughly diced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1/4 cup goat cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400˚. Toss cubed zucchini with onion, jalapeno, olive oil, and salt. Roast until zucchini has turned slightly brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove and toss with lime juice and cilantro. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add in onions and cook until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Remove corn from cob and stir in to onions, continuing to cook until corn becomes soft, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, egg, honey, lime juice, salt, and cilantro; stir until well combine. Divide batter in to 5-6 patties. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Pat in to 1″ thick round disc. Fry on each side for 5-6 minutes. Each side should be browned. To serve, place on a platter and spoon salsa on top. Sprinkle goat cheese over an serve.

I used a combination of squash and zucchini for this, you could use anything you like (beets would work nicely).

Slice vegetables as thin as possible (about 1/8th-1/16th inch). Place squash in a big bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt (liberally) and pepper. Mix together to coat the squash.

To bake: Spread single layer on cookie sheets. Bake at 220 degrees F for several hours until crisp. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Looking like a pair of clowns, clowns, clowns...

It has been too long since my last tart post. I do not post that many because I use the same recipe for all my tarts. This one follows that pattern as well  (but it was too gorgeous not to share with you), same shell and pastry cream. I did enhance the pastry cream with a slight lemon flavor by infusing  it with the zest of one lemon, and a dash of the juice. As you can see from the picture below, I had a hard time deciding what fruit to use. It not only turned out beautiful, but delicious as well. The beauty about tarts is that you have the ability to personalize every single one. I tend to stick to apricot preserves as the glaze on top, I find it to be milder than orange. The glaze is not necessary, but adds the glistening sheen found in pastry shop windows. I have rewritten the recipe below for anyone that is new to tart making. Summer is the perfect time to give this a whirl.

Pastry Cream

5 egg yolks, room temperature

3/4 C sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 1/2 C scalded milk

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

1 T unsalted butter

1 T heavy cream

Pate Brisee (recipe follows)

fruit for topping (any kind you like)

3 T apricot or orange marmalade (for glazing)

Bake Pate Brisee according to instructions, make sure edges become browned as you will not be baking this tart once it is filled. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.

With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.

Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, butter, and heavy cream. Pour pastry cream into tart shell, or place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cool.

Fill pastry shell with custard. Arrange fruit on top. Heat marmalade over medium low heat until runny. Brush warm marmalade over fruit and edges of tart. Refrigerate before serving.

Pate Brisee

1 1/4 C flour

1 t salt

1 stick unsalted butter (cubed and cold)

1/8 C ice water (more if needed)

Place flour, salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until it looks like small crumbs. With the machine running, slowly add water until dough just starts to come together. Use the water sparingly, you do want the dough to become sticky.

Place dough into a 10" tart pan and press along bottom moving outward up the sides (you may roll dough before placing it in tart pan, I prefer to do this by hand). Do not force or stretch the dough because a thin spot may cause the filling to leak. The dough edges should be a little bit higher than the side of the tart pan to help prevent shrinkage. Prick the bottom of the shell with your fork. Press a piece of foil (12"x13") into the edges of the shell completely touching and covering the entire shell. Chill for at least a half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Completely fill the foil covered shell with pie weights or dried beans. Put the shell into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove beans and foil. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes and bake until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack.

The shell is ready to fill!

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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I've been burdened with blame trapped in the past for too long, I'm moving on...

Today's Chinese inspired, spicy lemon sesame pieces may be served as an appetizer, or over rice as a meal. These are fried (I tried them baked and they just were not as good) I believe anything fried  makes for a potential crowd pleaser. They would certainly be a lovely side to an Asian inspired hors d'oeuvre party. You could also serve pot stickers, a cold noodle dish, and spring rolls. For dessert sliced fruit would do the trick. Now all you need is a hanging Japanese lantern on the porch. The sesame seeds atop the delicious sauce give them a superb nutty flavor without being too overbearing. The spice is minimal (you may always add more), so they are kid friendly as well.

• 
  
• 
  
• 1 lb chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 3 teaspoon cornstarch
• Extra cornstarch for coating
• 2 cups oil for frying
• sesame seeds
• 
  
Lemon sauce:


• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Combine egg, water, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Sriracha and cornstarch in a small bowl, mix until smooth. Pour mixture over chicken pieces and set aside for 10 minutes.Roll each chicken piece in cornstarch and place in a single layer on a plate ready to be fried.Fry in hot oil until golden ( around 5 minutes). Drain and set aside. To make the sauce, combine the lemon juice, water, honey, ginger and vinegar in a small pan. Bring to a boil, add cornstarch mixture, stirring until the sauce thickens.Pour over the chicken pieces, sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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The sun will shine in my back door one day...

As I have mentioned previously breakfast is not my thing. My idea of breakfast is a turkey sandwich. My significant other on the other hand could eat breakfast for every meal. So, in an attempt to jazz up the average pancake I noticed a nice pile of peaches on the counter, and decided to incorporate them into breakfast. The pancakes themselves have peaches and ground almonds to give them texture. They rose nicely due to an egg and baking powder, there is also a hint of tartness from a touch of sour cream. I then made a simple syrup from peaches and ginger, the ginger added a wonderful bite to the meal. Now, these are pancakes I can handle. I am positive these could also be a dessert pancake if desired. A dollop of heavy whipping cream topped them off beautifully. These are certain to brighten up your Sunday brunch.

Pancakes:

2 peaches, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

Water

3 tablespoons white granulated sugar, divided

Sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons sugar

1/4 C ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled

More Butter or Vegetable Oil for skillet

Ginger Peach Syrup:

2 peaches, sliced, skin-on

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

Salt

1/2 teaspoon corn starch

In a small saucepan, add the chopped peaches and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and add 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt. transfer to a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer, into a measuring cup or bowl, which will catch all of the pulp. It will yield a little over a cup. Set aside.

To a medium bowl, add the flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sour cream, egg, melted butter and 3/4 cup of the peach puree. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Small to medium lumps are perfectly fine.

 Preheat your griddle of skillet over medium heat. While your pan is pre-heating, let’s make the syrup! Add the peaches, freshly grated ginger, sugar, pinch of salt, corn starch, 1/4 cup of remaining peach puree and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes and until the peaches have softened and liquid has thickened slightly.

 Once your skillet is pre-heated, rub it with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles form, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on its opposite side for an additional minute or so. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet in a pre-heated 200F oven. Repeat process until you’ve cooked through all of the batter, adding more butter or oil to the skillet as needed. Top each stack with a tablespoon or two of the ginger peach syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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