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Pecan-Orange Granola with Dried Cranberries

BY COOK’S ILLUSTRATEDPecan-Orange Granola with Dried Cranberries

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Store-bought granola suffers from many shortcomings. It’s often loose and gravelly and/or infuriatingly expensive. We wanted to make our own granola at home, with big, satisfying clusters and crisp texture. The secret was to firmly pack the granola mixture into a rimmed baking sheet before baking. Once it was baked, we had a granola “bark” that we could break into crunchy clumps of any size.

INGREDIENTS

⅓cup maple syrup

2tablespoons finely grated orange zest
2 ½teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅓cup packed (2 ⅓ ounces) light brown sugar
4teaspoons vanilla extract
½teaspoon salt
½cup vegetable oil
5cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2cups (10 ounces) pecans, chopped
2cups dried cranberries

INSTRUCTIONSMAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS

Chopping the almonds by hand is the first choice for superior texture and crunch. If you prefer not to hand chop, substitute an equal quantity of slivered or sliced almonds. (A food processor does a lousy job of chopping whole nuts evenly.) Use a single type of your favorite dried fruit or a combination. Do not use quick oats.

 

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and pecans until thoroughly coated.
3. Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried cranberries. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

RECIPE TESTING

Granola Gone Wrong

Most store-bought granola is so bad (and so overpriced), we’re surprised anyone ever buys it.

Without oil to provide moisture, fat-free versions contain dry, dusty oats. Baked with the other ingredients, dried fruit turns tough and leathery. Loose oats, versus chunks, too readily absorb the milk or yogurt and turn soggy.

STEP-BY-STEP

Keys to Chunkier Granola

PRESS DOWN

Spread oat mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Press it firmly with spatula to create compact layer.

BAKE BUT DON’T STIR

Bake granola at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking but don’t stir.

BREAK UP

Break cooled granola “bark” into pieces as large as you’d like.

RECIPE TESTING

For Better Granola, Add Fat

When we mixed up a batch of granola in which we left out the oil, the resulting cereal was a real flop, the oats having taken on a crisp but overly dry consistency. It turns out that fat is essential for creating a likable crispness.

Here’s why: When the water in a viscous liquid sweetener (like the maple syrup in our recipe) evaporates in the heat of the oven, the sugars left behind develop into a thin coating on the oats and nuts. But without any fat, the sugar coating will become brittle and dry. Only oil can provide a pleasantly crisp coating with a sense of moistness.

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

The Best General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

Recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt, courtesy of Serious Eats

Notes

For this event my initial thought was to make Kung Pao chicken. I mentioned this to a friend of mine from Hong Kong who replied with, “WHAT? Of all the dishes, you’re going to make Kung Pao? Boo! I’m disappointed.” So with that, I felt I had to up my game.

This dish was time consuming, not very difficult, but I was quite pleased with the result feel that it was well worth the effort. Did it have anything to do with Chinese New Year? Probably not, it’s technically an American dish.

Apparently I did not follow the directions too closely with regards to the green onions, so we didn’t have any segments mixed in. That would have been nice. I suppose I’ll have to make this one all over again sometime. I doubled this recipe for the group.

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (substitute with dry sherry or other dry cooking wine)
  • 2 tablespoons 80-proof vodka
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks

For the Dry Coating

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine* (see note above)
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about one 1-inch piece)
  • 2 teaspoons minced scallion bottoms (about 1 scallion), plus 6 to 8 scallions, white parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chilies

To Finish

  • 1 1/2 quarts peanut or other high smoke-point oil for deep frying
  • Steamed white rice for serving

Directions

For the Marinade

  1. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until broken down and lightly foamy.
  2. Add soy sauce, wine, and vodka and whisk to combine. Set aside half of marinade in a small bowl.
  3. Add baking soda and corn starch to the large bowl and whisk to combine.
  4. Add chicken to large bowl and turn with fingers to coat thoroughly.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the Dry Coat

  1. Combine flour, corn starch, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until homogeneous.
  2. Add reserved marinade and whisk until mixture has coarse, mealy clumps. Set aside.

For the Sauce

  1. Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. Set aside.
  2. Combine oil, garlic, ginger, minced scallions, and red chilies in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are aromatic and soft, but not browned, about 3 minutes.
  3. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet, making sure to scrape out and sugar or starch that has sunk to the bottom. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute.
  4. Add scallion segments.
  5. Transfer sauce to a bowl to stop cooking, but don’t wipe out skillet.

To Finish

  1. Heat 1 1/2 quarts peanut, vegetable, or canola oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 350°F and adjust flame to maintain temperature.
  2. Working one piece at a time, transfer chicken from marinade to dry coat mixture, tossing in between each addition to coat chicken. When all chicken is added to dry coat, toss with hands, pressing dry mixture onto chicken so it adheres, and making sure that every piece is coated thoroughly.
  3. Lift chicken one piece at a time, shake off excess coating, and carefully lower into hot oil (do not drop it). Once all chicken is added, cook, agitating with long chopsticks or a metal spider, and adjusting flame to maintain a temperature of 325 to 375°F, until chicken is cooked through and very crispy, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain.
  4. Add chicken to empty skillet and return sauce to skillet. Toss chicken, folding it with a rubber spatula until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Serve immediately with white rice.
Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Baked dried apricots with walnuts; Cevizli kuru kayisi tatlisi

by  on May 5, 2014 in Cakes and Desserts 13
Baked dried apricots with walnuts; cevizli kuru kayisi tatlisi

Baked dried apricots with walnuts; cevizli kuru kayisi tatlisi

As I am getting ready for my upcoming Turkish cookery class on 10th May, I couldn’t resist sharing this delicious dessert from our class, baked dried apricots with walnuts stuffing in the new recipe card format. Such an easy, yet delicious and wholesome treat, if you’d like to have a go too.

Dried apricots are packed with goodness and flavor, a delicious snack.

Dried apricots are packed with goodness and flavor, a delicious snack.

One of  Turkey’s most prolific fruits is the apricot. Because of their abundance, some of the yearly harvest is allowed to dry in the hot summer sun in order to be enjoyed all year round. Malatya, a city in southeast Turkey, is particularly famous for excellent dried apricots which are exported throughout the world. You can find dried apricots in most stores these days, online Turkish store Tulumba.com also carries them if you live in the US.

Walnuts stuffing is delicious and wholesome in dried apricots

Walnuts stuffing is delicious and wholesome in dried apricots

Apricots are great snacks; they are packed with fiber, antioxidants and their naturally rich, wonderful flavor is icing on the cake. This easy dessert is great for parties, sharing with friends or family or just indulging yourself. Hope you enjoy it.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Baked dried apricots with walnuts; Cevizli kuru kayisi tatlisi

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One of Turkey’s most prolific fruits is the apricot. Dried apricots are great, wholesome snacks. This healthy and delicious dried apricot with walnuts dessert is great for parties, sharing with friends and family or just indulging yourself.
Author: Ozlem Warren
Recipe type: Healthy Turkish Desserts
Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 225 gr / 8 oz dried Turkish apricots
  • 3 fl oz / ⅓ cup water – if needed –
  • 30ml/2 tablespoons butter
  • 30ml/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • For the filling:
  • 75 gr /1/2 cup crushed walnuts into small pieces
  • 50 gr / ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup water for baking
  • Crushed pistachio nuts for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F
  2. Soak the dried apricots in warm water for 10 minutes, if they are really hard. Then drain the water. If they are already soft enough to split open, you can skip this stage.
  3. Combine the crushed walnuts and brown sugar in a small bowl as the filling.
  4. Split open the apricots with a small knife, making sure one end is still intact.
  5. Stuff each apricot with a teaspoonful of crushed walnut and brown sugar mixture and slightly close it up.
  6. Grease a baking tray with olive oil or butter and place the stuffed dried apricots on it.
  7. Pour the water over the tray.
  8. Place a tiny little dab of butter on the top of the each stuffed apricot.
  9. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the apricots and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  10. Arrange them in a serving dish and sprinkle over some crushed pistachio nuts.
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Homemade Cezerye; Caramalised Carrot Paste Delight with Nuts

by  on April 28, 2014 in Cakes and Desserts, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 16
Cezerye; Caramalised carrot paste with nuts

Cezerye; Caramalised carrot paste with nuts

Have you ever tried the delicious Cezerye dessert? A specialty from Mersin region at southern Turkey, Cezerye is a delicious confectionery made of carrots, nuts and sugar, coated with desiccated coconut flakes. They are utterly delicious, healthy and also known to be an aphrodisiac.

Spread the cooked carrot & nut paste evenly and tightly, making sure they stay intact.

Spread the cooked carrot & nut paste evenly and tightly, making sure they stay intact.

With my roots going back to southern Turkey, Antakya, I grew up sampling the very best Cezerye from the nearby Mersin region. Such a delicious and healthy snack, it was always available whenever we wanted some for a treat, therefore I haven’t really thought of making them when I was home. But living  abroad and not having an access to these scrumptious treats  make you brave enough to have a go at them, like making homemade Turkish Delights. I am delighted to report you that compared to making Turkish Delights, Cezerye is so much easier to make, lighter and equally delicious. They are traditionally made with hazelnuts; I used walnuts for my Cezerye recipe and they were delicious. My children absolutely loved them!

Cezerye; delicious carrot paste with walnuts from Mersin, Turkey.

Cezerye; delicious carrot paste with walnuts from Mersin, Turkey.

Carrots have never been sweeter; hope you can have a go and treat yourself, family and friends with these delicious carrot delights. Cezerye keeps well in an air tight container for a week.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews
Homemade Cezerye; Caramalised Carrot Paste Delight with Nuts

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A delicious and healthy caramalised carrot paste & walnuts dessert from Mersin, Turkey. I hope you can have a go and treat yourself, family and friends with these delicious carrot delights. Cezerye keeps well in an air tight container for a week.
Author: Ozlem Warren
Recipe type: Turkish desserts
Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 3 medium to large carrots (app. 400 gr), cleaned and grated
  • 200 gr / 7 oz. / 1 cup white sugar (or 1¼ cup brown sugar)
  • 50 gr / 2 oz. walnuts, chopped into small pieces
  • 8 fl. oz./1 cup water
  • 50 gr/ 2 oz./1/3 cup desiccated coconut flakes to decorate
  • Bowl of water to shape cezerye squares or balls
Instructions
  1. Place the grated carrots, ½ cup water and sugar in a wide, heavy pan.
  2. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring often. Cook this way for about 30 minutes or until all the liquid evaporated.
  3. Stir in the rest of the ½ cup water and cook again on medium heat, stirring continuously (carrots also release their own juice, therefore I prefer to add the liquid a step at a time so that the carrots won’t become mushy).
  4. Cook the carrots until all the juice evaporated and they are softened, this should take another 30 minutes. Using your stirring spoon, mash the cooked carrots to turn into a thick, chunky paste. At this point, they should also thicken, start to caramalise and get sticky (you can take a little bit between your fingers to test whether it sticks or not). Turn the heat off.
  5. Stir in the chopped walnuts to the carrot paste and mix well. Again using your stirring spoon, blend them all well and turn into a thick paste.
  6. Cover a small rectangular dish or tray with parchment paper. Spread the carrot paste evenly and tightly, making sure they stay intact, with a height of 1,5 cm (0.6”).
  7. Cover with a cling film and rest the mixture to settle for 2 hours in fridge.
  8. After 2 hours, start shaping the carrot paste. Have a bowl of water near you. Wet your hands, take a dessert spoonful and shape into small round balls. Or wet your knife and cut into small squares.
  9. Spread the desiccated coconut flakes on a dry surface and coat the carrot balls and squares with the flakes to coat all over.
  10. Cezerye is ready to serve. Cezerye keeps well in an air tight container for a week.
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Easter Bread with Mahlep from Istanbul; Paskalya Coregi

by  on April 18, 2014 in Cakes and Desserts, Savory Pastries, Turkish Breakfast 12
Easter bread with mahlepi; Paskalya Coregi

Easter bread with mahlepi; Paskalya Coregi

I’ve been getting requests to make the fragrant Paskalya Coregi, the Easter bread sold in bakeries and patisseries in Istanbul all year around. I am so glad the readers asked (with special thanks to James Baydar) and I had a go at them; an absolutely delicious bread, that fills your home with heavenly smells of mahlep or mahlebi and mastic.

Fragrant mahlep or mahlepi seeds, a must for the Paskalya Coregi, Easter Bread

Fragrant mahlep or mahlepi seeds, a must for the Paskalya Coregi, Easter Bread

The  star ingredient in this bread is, Mahlep or mahlab, mahlebi, an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry.  It has been used for centuries in the Middle East as a flavoring for baked goods. In Greek cooking, it is the characteristic flavoring of Christmas cake and Easter pastry recipes.  In Armenia it is used to flavour the traditional Easter bread. In Turkey, it is used for pogaca, (savory pastries with cheese or various fillings), Kandil Simiti, special bread rings with sesame seeds to mark religious festivities. Mahlab is also used in Paskalya Coregi, the special sweet bread that you can find all through the year in patisseries, pastanes, in Turkey (the word Paskalya driven from the Greek Pashalia to Turkish). Istanbul has a long history of having some brilliant Armenian and Greek pastry masters and most of the prominent patisseries were used to be run by them. Thanks to this heritage, the Paskalya coregi became a staple of Istanbul patisserie scene all year long. I grew up soaking the incredible smells of Paskalya Coregi; eager to buy our loaf and couldn’t resist sampling some on the way home, happy days.

Braiding the strips; . seal the top end of the 3 strips so they stay intact.

Braiding the strips;  seal the top end of the 3 strips so they stay intact.

Braid and seal the other end of the strips to finish braiding your loaf.

Braid and seal the other end of the strips to finish braiding your loaf.

Paskalya Coregi is such an easy, delicious bread, though it requires some patience and time, as you need to make sure the dough is risen / doubled its size. The braiding is very straight forward and this one is baked in less than 30 minutes.

Paskalya Coregi; Easter bread with mahlepi, straight from the oven!

Paskalya Coregi; Easter bread with mahlepi, straight from the oven!

As the Paskalya coregi bakes, fragrant mahlep and mastic smells coming from the oven is so heavenly and inviting, it is well worth the effort and the wait. Hope you can have a go and enjoy this special Easter bread you can find almost every bakery in Istanbul. Paskalya Coregi is lovely on its own or with some jam or honey over the slice. Children finished most of our loaves as soon as they were out of the oven!

Happy Easter and Passover to all readers celebrating.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Recipe adapted from Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar

5.0 from 1 reviews
Easter Bread with Mahlep from Istanbul; Paskalya Coregi

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This is a special Easter bread, Paskalya Coregi, that you can find all year around in bakeries in Istanbul. Fragrant mahlepi, mahlep and mastic makes the bread packed with flavor; slice and enjoy with some jam or honey over.
Author: Ozlem Warren
Recipe type: A special Easter Bread from Istanbul
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3 cups and 1 tbsp. all-purpose plain flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (caster) sugar
  • 12 gr/ 1 ½ tsp. dry yeast
  • 5 ml/ 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 15 ml/ 3 tsp. ground mahlep or mahlepi
  • 5 ml/ 1 tsp ground mastic
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature)
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten (room temperature)
  • 125 gr/ 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup whole milk, lukewarm
  • For the topping:
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 10 ml/ 2 tsp. whole milk
  • 45 ml/ 3 tbsp. thinly sliced, flaked almonds
Instructions
  1. Take the eggs out of the fridge about 1,5 hours ahead of time and bring to room temperature.
  2. If you are using whole mahlepi seeds, ground them at food processor with mastic.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, yeast, salt, ground mahlepi and mastic. Mix well with a spoon.
  4. Stir in the beaten eggs, egg yolks, melted butter and warm milk to the bowl. Using your hands (or an electric mixer) bring it to a soft dough.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, knead for 3 -5 minutes, until you get a smooth dough.
  6. Put the dough into a greased large bowl, cover with cling film and wrap with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl at a warm part of the kitchen. Let the dough rise and double its size; this takes about 2,5 hours, depending on the room temperature.
  7. Once risen, punch the dough and divide into six equal balls. Roll each ball into 30 cm (12”) long 6 strips.
  8. Place 3 dough strips next to each other side by side. Pinch, seal the top end of the 3 strips so they stay intact. Braid and seal the other end of the strips; you made your first loaf. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the 3 dough strips to make your 2nd loaf.
  9. Cover the baking tray with parchment paper and place the two braided loaves on it; make sure to leave 3 -4″ between the loaves. Cover the loaves loosely with a damp towel. Place the tray at a warm place to rise for another hour.
  10. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
  11. Beat 1 egg yolk lightly in a small bowl and stir in 2 tsp. whole milk, mix well.
  12. Once the loaves risen, brush them with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Generously sprinkle the flaked almonds over the loaves and gently press so that the almonds stick to the loaf.
  13. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 – 25 minutes. Please check as of 15 minutes, as the loaves go dark rather quickly. In that case, loosely place an oven proof baking paper over to prevent further browning. As of 20 minutes, take the loaves out of the oven and insert a toothpick in the middle to see if it’s cooked. If the toothpick comes clean, that means the loaf is cooked. If not, bake for further 5 minutes or so.
  14. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let the Easter bread, Paskalya Coregi, rest on a wire rack. It will smell heavenly.
  15. Slice the loaf once cooled down; Paskalya coregi is delicious with a little butter and jam or honey over the slice.