Category: Side Dish

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Birnbrot – Swiss Pear Bread

I pimped this recipe out. I doubled down on the prunes and Bam!bread pictYield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

Dough

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, one envelope is enough

1/3 cup water

1 1/2-2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1   egg

Filling

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried pears

1/3 cup pitted coarsely chopped prune

1/4 cup golden raisin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon sugar  (I didn’t add this since the recipe didn’t call for it)

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (oops I forgot this, did anyone miss this?)

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Glaze (skipped this step)

1   egg, beaten with 1 tbl milk

Directions:

  1. Dissolve the yeast in water, add one tsp flour and set aside in warm place for 10 minutes or so, until it is foamy and bubbly.
  2. Mix 1 cup flour, salt, sugar and softened butter in a mixer bowl. Add the yeast mixture and egg and mix thoroughly.
  3. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
  4. Place in greased bowo, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  5. Prepare the filling while the dough is rising. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
  6. Add the fruit and the lemon juice to the water. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until so tender that it can be mashed easily. Drain the fruit.
  7. Puree in a blender or food processor. Remove to a bowl and combine with the walnuts, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly – this will be a thick mixture.
  8. Grease a large baking sheet. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 9 x 9 inch square.
  9. Spread the filling on the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin all around. Roll the dough jelly-roll style.
  10. Place on the grease baking sheet, seam side down, and let rise in a warm place, covered, until doubled, about 30 minutes.
  11. (I skipped the brushing egg wash) Brush with glaze and bake in preheated 350 deg F oven 30 to 40 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.
Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Baked Buffalo Wings from the famous movie Buffalo Wings

Wingshttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1433091/

Ingredients

  • For the wings:
  • 5 pounds chicken wings
  • 4 tablespoons neutral oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups flour (optional)

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce (preferably Frank’s brand)*
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

For dunking:

  • 6 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch long sticks (oops I forgot those)
  • Blue Cheese Dip
  • * Using a relatively mild Louisiana hot sauce is an important part of the process. If the hot sauce is quite hot (like, say, Tabasco) the Buffalo sauce will be far too spicy by the time you use the right amount to get the consistency you want. Starting with a sauce like Frank’s, which is what they use in Buffalo, allows you to then add cayenne until it’s as spicy as you like.

Procedures

  1. Prepare the wings:The wings are traditionally cut into three pieces. Using a heavy knife, cut through the joints in the wings to separate then into three pieces. A sharp knife should slide through the joint easily; there is no need to cut through any bone. It’s easiest to see the joints with the underside of the wings facing up.
  2. The tips of the wing, which contain little to no meat, can be discarded or saved for the stock pot. Rinse the wings and pat them dry, then toss in a bowl with the oil and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.
  3. The sauce: Melt the butter over low heat in a sauce pan and add the remaining sauce ingredients, whisking well to combine. Keep the heat low and only as long as necessary to melt the butter: you don’t want the butter to separate. Taste for spiciness, and add cayenne if desired.
  4. To Marinate or Flour? Depending on your method, the next step is to either toss the wings with a quarter of the sauce and refrigerate for an hour, or toss them in a bowl with the flour. The former method will infuse the wings with flavor, while the latter will create a crisp exterior that will eventually soak up lots of sauce. It’s up to you.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet with a neutral oil such as canola, using a paper towel or brush to ensure it coats all of the surface. Arrange the wing pieces skin-side-up. They should be snug, but not too crowded. Keep in mind they will shrink as they cook.
  6. Cook undisturbed for 30 minutes until golden brown, and until the wings release easily from the baking sheet. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces over and return to the oven to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp.
  7. When the wing are finished cooking, pour the Buffalo sauce into a shallow bowl (you’ll probably have to do this in batches) and add a few wings at a time. Turn them in the sauce until well-coated, then transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining wings.

 

Posted on » by Dana & Nancy » Theme:

Falafel

Recipe from FoodNetwork.com courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian

Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
  • Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup flour, plus 1/4 cup flour for shaping patties
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Lettuce, for garnish
  • Chopped salted tomatoes, for garnish
  • Grated cucumber, for garnish
  • White Bean Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
  • Creamy White Bean Yogurt Sauce
  • 3/4 cup cooked white beans
  • 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, parsley, cilantro, egg, and lemon juice. Pulse to combine and season with salt. The mixture will not be smooth, but it should not have large chunks.

Add in the baking powder and 1/3 cup of the flour and pulse to just combine. Remove to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator. Add enough oil to a large saute pan so it reaches 1/2-inch up the sides and heat it over medium-high heat until an inserted thermometer reads 360 degrees F.

Meanwhile, drop spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture onto a plate with 1/4 cup flour. Roll into balls on the floured plate and press gently into patties. Fry in batches of hot oil for about 3 to 4 minutes each side and drain on paper towels.

Serve the falafel on a bed of lettuce with chopped salted tomatoes, grated cucumber and White Bean Yogurt Sauce.

Puree the white beans, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a mini food processor until very smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with falafel or as a salad dressing.