The Beet Reporter

Roasted Chestnut Soup

Krista — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:19:41 +0000

I always thought as a Minnesotan that winter can never come too soon. Winter has always meant snowball fights, midnight sledding trips, clearing the lake in the back yard for ice skating, and two whole weeks of vacation to enjoy it all. Even the winters that I’ve spent mostly away from Minnesota, I’ve had the chance to return for a few weeks– in the case of last winter, almost two months– and relish the moment of playfulness in the snow. I’d never be one of those grumpy, boring adults that sees snow only as a nuisance to wipe from the car before a long morning commute.

So this year when the temperatures started dropping, I was surprised to find myself dreading the impending winter. I might not have a long morning commute, but it’s on a bike with no shelter from the wind. I’d gotten used to a mild fall and weekends spent romping around outside. Suddenly I have to change my lifestyle because of a few lousy degrees? Bah humbug.

Thankfully, I live with a group of boys that remind me that just one year out of college doesn’t mean we have to become stuffy adults. We might not get an absurdly long winter break any more, but that just requires finding the energy after a workday to enjoy the change of seasons. This weekend we bought our very first Christmas tree to put up in our own home, and went grocery shopping as a house (/family) for holiday goodies. Somewhere on the trip, a handful of fresh raw chestnuts was grabbed, and I decided to make a festive chestnut soup as a starter for dinner. There have been several winter-inspired soups brewed this December already, but one of them has been a clear winner so far. This chestnut soup was a great way to warm up– and as an added bonus, makes the house fragrant with roasted chestnuts and red wine!

Roasted Chestnut Soup

Active time: 30 min. Total time: 1 hour. Makes 5-6 servings as a starter soup.

about a dozen whole chestnuts
1 Tbsp of butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup of chopped carrot (~1 large carrot)
1 cup of chopped celery (2-3 celery stalks)
1 clove of garlic
3 cups of veggie broth (or water)
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup red wine (dry, such as Madeira)
1 teaspoon of thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, enough so that they are easy to peel. Let cool for five minutes and peel chestnuts using a nutcracker or your hands.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter and add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sautee until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent, just over five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, so the garlic becomes fragrant. Then add the vegetable broth, red wine and chestnuts, reduce heat and let simmer covered for twenty minutes.

Puree soup in small batches in a blender (be careful, it’s hot!) until smooth. Stir in the cream and seasonings to taste. I recommend serving it garnished with a dollop of creme fresh and a sprig of fresh thyme for finer company.

butternut squash quiche with caramelized onions, brie and sage

Krista — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:45:23 +0000

There’s a never ending list of fall foods that I plan on cooking this season. I’m pretty sure that if I didn’t have work at the bakery to create some of my seasonal favorites– sweet potato pecan, chai, and apple cider macarons are in the works– I’d have upturned my kitchen at home with how much I cook. I have yet to share some of my favorite apple recipes from the week (I went apple picking and have been feasting on fruit for the week), but I have to share this one, while the squash is available.

This recipe was adapted from a pumpkin and blue cheese quiche from Closet Cooking, but finding and roasting fresh pumpkin was a step too far for me, so I substituted my favorite squash and a more mild brie cheese. One tip: don’t feel reserved about the spices. I added almost a tablespoon of nutmeg, and it was glorious.

Butternut Squash Quiche

Serves 4. Active time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 1 hour. Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

2 cups onion, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium butternut squash
1 cup of kale, chopped
water as needed
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg
dash of cardamom
8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed as directed on package
1/4 cup olive oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
4-5 slices of brie cheese
1 tablespoon sage, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the butternut squash in half and carve out the seeds. Place open-side down in a metal baking pan and add an inch of water on the bottom. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife can gently puncture the skin.

While the squash cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook for five minutes, until the onions are just translucent but not browning. Add the sugar and cook for another 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and sticky.

Peel the squash and dice roughly. In a large bowl, add the squash, onions, kale, eggs, milk, mozzarella and spices, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a pie dish or spring form pan, begin to create a crust by layering phyllo dough. Oil the bottom of the dish first, and then add one layer of phyllo. Brush the top with olive oil using a pastry brush and add another sheet of dough. Then add sheets of dough one by one around the edges, letting them hang off the top sides, brushing each one with oil. Repeat, using about a dozen sheets in total. Don’t worry about cracks or breaking sheets, since the layers will cover any broken spots.

Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Top with salt and pepper, fresh sage, and chunks of brie. Flip any phyllo dough hanging off the edge of the pan over the top and brush with oil.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If the crust hasn’t started browning, increase the temperature to broiling (500 degrees) for an additional five minutes.

roasted corn dip

Krista — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:54:15 +0000

Does anyone else get fall-cleaning fever? I’ve suddenly found the itch to sweep out all the summer pollens and dusts out of the house and start fresh with the impending change of seasons. I already catch myself daydreaming about pumpkin pie and burnt orange leaves and carving pumpkins and halloween. And then I open my eyes and step outside… to 80 degree DC-in-September-feels-like-its-still-July weather. And instead of pumpkins at the farmers market, there are bushels of corn.

I happened to get an amazing deal on corn at the farmers market this week, cheap enough that I somehow ended up trying to avoid awkward stares as I staggered down the street with bags full to bursting. The good thing is you can toss corn in almost anything for a touch of something sweet– corn on salads, corn chowder, and corn fritters have all been made this week. This dip was taken to an end of summer potluck, and made quite an impression. I made the dip at home, covered it, and then baked it at the potluck so it came out hot and gooey.

A few tips: I chose to add half a habanero pepper to balance out the sweetness of the corn, but feel free to substitute jalapeno or just a dash of cayenne depending on taste. Also, grilling the corn would do wonders to bring out more flavor in the corn, but browning it in a pan did the trick just fine.

Thanks to Kevin from Closet Cooking for the photo since my camera has mysteriously lost its charger. The recipe is liberally adapted from his hot corn dip.

Roasted Corn Dip

Total time: about 30 minutes.

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears corn)
1/2 cup yellow onion (chopped)
1/4 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1/2 a habanero pepper (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

In a pan, melt one tablespoon of butter and add the corn. Saute until the corn starts to turn golden brown, a little over five minutes. Set aside.

In a separate small pan, melt another tablespoon of butter and add the onion and pepper. Saute until the onions are soft, about two minutes. Add the green onions, habenero and garlic and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.

Pour the sauteed vegetables in a food processor or blender with the vinegar, mustard and salt, and pulse for about 30 seconds, until coarsely blended.

In a small pyrex or ramekin, mix together the corn, blended vegetables, and one handful of grated cheese. Top with another handful of grated cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes. Serve with corn chips or pretzels.

pesto pizza with gorgonzola, pecans, and caramelized onion relish

Krista — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:27:00 +0000

For whatever reason, I’ve never shared this recipe before even though it’s one of my ultimate (we’re talking potential favorite) pizzas. I originally made it when a vegan friend was spending the week on my couch, and I wanted there to be plenty of food around to welcome him (so half of the pizza is cheese-less). I’m not sure what I like about this recipe more: the sweet onions contrasting with the spunky cheese? The soft homemade crust with that crunch of pecan? Maybe it’s just the fact that there’s a pizza cooling in the kitchen that has no marinara and no stretchy cheese, but still manages to taste incredible. Just sayin.

Note: I used homemade garlic scape pesto in the photo, which makes it more organic and chunky, but use whatever pesto you prefer. Also feel free to swap out the pecans for walnuts or the gorgonzola for blue cheese if thats what you’re feeling. And while it may seem like making the onion relish is somewhat intensive, I double the batch and keep some in the fridge for topping on toast, tossing in pasta, or sautéeing with (gasp!) dried fruit for a crostini.

The Ol’ Standby Pizza Crust

Makes enough for one 10-11″ thin crust pizza. For a more doughy crust, double the recipe or roll the pizza out to only a 8-9″ pizza.

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir together the dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball. Knead it for just a minute or two.

Lightly oil/butter the bowl where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and then roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 10-11″ circle. Lay the crust onto your baking sheet and put on the toppings below.

I doubled the batch and froze one crust. This works great, but beware that the thawing takes patience. if you choose to speed up the process in the microwave or oven, you risk damaging the fluffiness of the dough.

Pesto Pizza Toppings

about 1/2 cup of pesto
1/2 cup of onion relish
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
gorgonzola crumbles
dash of black pepper
4 leaves of fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried (roughly chopped)
dash of Italian seasonings (optional)

Layer the pesto on top of the dough nice and thick, enough to coat the top. Gently spread on the onion relish, and top with chopped pecans, gorgonzola crumbles, and spices. Drizzle with olive oil (optional).

Caramelized Onion Relish

1 tablespoon of butter
1 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup white (or red) wine
1/4 cup white (or red) wine vinegar
handful of golden raisins (optional)

Straight off the bat, let me just say that I like the red wine version of this recipe better for most things. For example: tossing with penne pasta, topping on crostini with cheese, or as a sandwich spread. But for the pizza, I didn’t want the distinctive flavor of red wine to mask the other flavors and also omitted the raisins, and I was happy with the result. But it’s your call, and I’ve done it both ways.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for 5 minutes, until just becoming translucent. Stir in the sugar and saute for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browning and soft. Add the wine and vinegar (and raisins if including them), and reduce heat. Simmer until almost all the liquid has boiled off, about 6 or 7 more minutes. The onions should be soft and sticky, like a relish.

honey lavender baguettes

Krista — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:17:54 +0000

After a very long hiatus from food blogging, I’ve realized that it’s time for an update on my cooking activities. Mostly it’s just been a summer too full of browsing though farmers markets, exploring the coop in my new neighborhood, volunteering at the food shelf’s kitchen and of course baking macarons– much to full to step back and write about it all. I guess I just had no idea where to start, and was dorking out about food enough at my baking job that I was fulfilled (really, quite stuffed) without blogging. But as the summer is winding down and I’m no longer ashamed to take a few hours inside on the computer rather than running around in the sun, it’s time to reorganize my thoughts and say a few things out loud.

There’s a whole list of wonderful summer foods I want to share, but mostly I really just want to take a minute to talk about baking bread. You guys were there as witnesses the first time I successfully made sandwich bread (though luckily no one had to see my first loaf of rock-hard challah bread) and my love for home baking has exploded since then: bagels from scratch, pita bread, and herb bread were soon to follow. Now I find my own rhythm to baking bread and have gotten to intimately know the french baguette over the last few weeks. Really, mine is more like a rustic white bread or a classic Italian bread because I take the simple route and don’t use a starter fermentation. But for me what really makes a baguette a baguette française is the texture, crusty and golden on the outside but moist and spongey on the inside. And that I can now do really well.

What I’ve learned over dozens of batches this summer are a few very simple techniques that will ensure the right contrast of textures:

1. Always let your bread rest after it’s been shaped into loaves for at least 20 minutes, but I prefer for them to double in size again right before sticking them in the oven so the final product is light and fluffy.

2. Keep a baking tin of water on the bottom rack of the oven beginning when you turn the oven on to preheat; this creates a steaming effect that traps the moisture in.

3. Halfway through baking, so after about 15 minutes, it helps to take the bread out and spray/mist the loaves with water to make sure it remains moist.

4. Be sure to remember to cut diagonal slits on the top before going in the oven, so they come out looking as good as they smell!

Once the basic recipe is down, almost any flavorings can be added. While I’m always a fan of the toss-whatever-herb-is-exploding-out-of-the-garden-bed recipe, I’ve found lavender honey bread to be sweet yet savory, with the last hint of summer flowers I know I’ll soon be missing.

This is shared with Bread Experience: BYOB, and Yeast Spotting.

Krista’s Honey Lavender Baguettes

Makes two medium-sized loaves. Total time: about 2 hours.

1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of yeast
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Boil a cup of water and add it to a large bowl with the honey and lavender. Let the lavender steep until the water has cooled to warm rather than boiling, about five minutes. Add the yeast, let sit for two minutes, and stir briefly. Let the yeast sit in the water until it starts to bubble up and the yeast is activated, about ten minutes in total.

Stir in the salt, and add the flour a cup at a time (2 cups total), stirring with a wooden spoon. When the dough starts pulling off the sides of the bowl and come together into a ball, dump it on a clean surface dusted with flour. Use an additional 1/2 cup of flour if necessary to knead the dough for five minutes, just enough for it to be smooth and elastic. Be warned that you want baguette dough to be a little more sticky than you might be comfortable with, so you’ll need to scrape it off the counter when you’re finished! Return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and toss it to coat the oil around your ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth dish towel and leave it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled, a little less than an hour. You know that it’s done if an imprint of your finger is left when you poke it.

Punch down the dough and divide it in two. Shape each ball into a baguette: flatten it by hand, then fold it in half, turn 90 degrees, and fold it in half again. Then stretch/roll into a snake and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet with the seam-side down. Cut three or four diagonal slits across the top, and dust with cornmeal if its preferred (I skip this). Cover tightly again and let it rise for another 20 minutes.

While you wait, place a baking tin with an inch or so of water in the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven as high as it will go, at least 450 degrees. After the dough has puffed up again, sprinkle the loaves with water and put the bread on the top rack of the oven. Immediately turn it down to 400 degrees. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and pull it out and sprinkle it with water again. Return the bread to the oven (with the house now smelling distinctly like a bakery) for another 10-15 minutes, until turning golden brown. Test it for doneness by tapping the bottom of each loaf and listening for a hollow sound.

garlic scape soup

Krista — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:53:48 +0000

Has anyone else ever heard of garlic scapes? I was perusing through my new cookbook (I got Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson), remarking how few of the ingredients she mentions I’ve ever actually seen in my local grocery store. Teff flour? Pistachio oil? Calendula? Garlic Scapes? I’ve never cooked with any of these things, as delicious as they sound, but even though I now know how to best cook with them I still have no idea where to find them.

Alas, I was heard. My good friend Brian now works at a gardening store in downtown Washington, where they get regular drop-offs from the Lancaster farm CSA. For those who aren’t familiar, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is a great way to support a local farm by buying freshly harvested produce in bulk that is then divided among a community (it’s easy to buy in with a group of friends or a small business). The farm will then come drop off whatever is in season, which right now is garlic scapes. Brian heard me complain and has brought me several dozen whips of garlic scapes and now I can’t get enough.

Garlic scapes are the portion of garlic that grow above ground into tall, green shoots if left unattended. The garlic bulbs we typically think of are the product of a long journey, beginning with a much smaller, greener bulb that produces whip-like tendrils until the bulb ages enough to turn into the familiar beige-opaque garlic peel. At this early in the growing season scapes are abound, but in a few short weeks the season will be over and regular fresh garlic bulbs will return to the shelf.

Scapes are very similar in appearance to chives, shallots and leeks (they belong to the same allium family), but when they are diced it smells and tastes like fresh garlic. I like it much better than the bulb, a little less pungent and more green tasting. They add a remarkable punch to any rice or stir-fry dish, but I wanted to try this new recipe that uses them as more than a garnish and features them as the main attraction in a soup.

It’s ridiculously easy to make, and if you can get your hands on some garlic scapes I strongly recommend it. The soup comes out thin and light, tasting crisp and fresh of new greens. It’s great hot or even better cold after a few hours (or the next day) in the fridge. Feel free to replace the thyme with anything else in your garden that is in abundance– fresh dill or parsley would also go well.

Garlic Scape Soup

Serves 2. Total time: 25 minutes.

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 dozen garlic scapes, green shoots chopped
2 small potatoes, preferably russet, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cups water or vegetable broth
1 handful of spinach leaves, stemmed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, off the stem
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the scapes and saute for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and water, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to break down.

Remove from the heat, add the spinach, and then puree using a hand blender (or use a conventional blender like I did, though try leaving the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape and avoid a potential mess). Season with the lemon juice, salt, thyme, and a few grinds of pepper, adding more salt if it tastes too bland.

whole wheat banana nut pancakes

Krista — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:18:31 +0000

To me, the biggest treat of the weekend– really, what makes a weekend a weekend– is having the time to wake up slowly, get my bearings, maybe have a cup of coffee, and then make breakfast. Ok, I understand breakfast should be “made” every day, but does splashing some soy milk in a bowl of cereal really count as making breakfast? I think it’s a stretch. So on the weekends when I get to take my time getting ready and fueling up for the day, I like to have something more than food that only requires assembly. And if you couldn’t tell from the pictures, these were enjoyed on a bright summer morning on the back porch with friends as payment for their help with gardening. Shoveling and weeding is so much easier with a hearty breakfast in the belly!

Don’t get me wrong, you can make these during the week. There’s no better way to perk up your week than waking up half an hour early and having pancakes. And these ones are a serious energy boost, both for your body and your attitude. Packed with fruit, nuts, and wholesome wheat, they’re much more than your regular pancake. And by folding in fluffed egg whites, they’re still the same soft and cushy pancakes that make pancakes so delightful. I really like the texture that the cornmeal and nuts give it, adding a little more depth and crunch. So go ahead, make the day a little more special and have some pancakes.

Thanks to Joy the Baker for the recipe. This is shared with Friday Potluck @ Ekats kitchen, Food on Fridays, Foodie Fridays, and The Breakfast Club hosted this month by Simply Food.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Pancakes

Serves 6. Prep time: 20 minutes. Total time: about 40 minutes.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for brushing the skillet
1 1/2 cup milk, plus additional if needed
1 ripe banana, diced or mashed
1/4 cup nuts, chopped (almonds, walnuts or pecans are best)

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl . Whisk together yolks, oil and 1 1/2 cups of milk in another bowl and add to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Let batter stand for 5 minutes to allow flour to absorb liquid (batter will thicken). If batter is too thick to fall easily from a spoon, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional milk. Then fold in the banana and nuts.

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. With a whisk, gently but thoroughly fold into batter.

Brush a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into a hot skillet, spreading it if necessary to form 3- 3 1/2 inch rounds. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on surface, edges are set and undersides are golden, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden and pancakes are cooked through. Lower heat if pancakes brown too quickly and insides aren’t set. Transfer pancakes to plate and serve with syrup and berries warmed on the pancake skillet with a pinch of sugar.

add some pasta to your antipasto

Krista — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:31:35 +0000

Please excuse the week away from blogging, I have freshly begun my job at the bakery and between that new full-time job, weekends waitressing, and evenings in class, I haven’t been too attached to my computer. Believe me though, I’ve found ways to cook. I’m learning even in my first week that after a full day in the kitchen (not my kitchen, but rather the dream-kitchen that is the new bakery) I need to balance the sweet cupcakes and madeline cookies with fresh, wholesome greens.

The antipasto is the ultimate dish for someone on the go who wants more than just an everyday salad. It requires nothing more than tossing ingredients together in their own juices (unless you want to cook some pasta), and keeps for a few days in the fridge. If it’s a side dish or an appetizer, it would be great on it’s own without the pasta served chilled or on a hearty toasted bread. I chose to add a few cups of pasta, preferably whole grain penne or bowtie to catch the juices nicely, to make it a main dish that’s ready in ten minutes.

One other thing I love about antipasto: it doesn’t need some fancy sauce to make it taste good. Especially by adding already-marinated vegetables, such as sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts, they come with a distinctive flavor and I like to add a few drops of the marinade to bring out that natural flavor. The lemon juice is just enough to brighten the vegetables, and the olive oil lets them toss together more nicely. Omit the feta crumbles for a vegan version or an even lighter alternative.

This is shared with This Week\’s Cravings, Presto Pasta Nights and Tuesdays at the Table

Antipasto with Pasta

Makes about 4-5 servings as a light main dish. Total time: 10 minutes.

2 cups penne pasta
1 cup spinach
1/2 an avocado, diced
1/4 greek olives, pitted and halved
1/4 radishes, halved
6 sun-dried tomato halves
3 oz. marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
feta crumbles (optional)

Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta. In the meantime, prepare vegetables and toss together in a large serving bowl. When pasta is cooked, toss it all together, adding vinegar, oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Top with feta cheese crumbles and serve family-style.

cream cheese cinnamon rolls

Krista — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:15:25 +0000

Before the rolls are baked

These cinnamon rolls are nothing short of amazing. There is double the fun of cream cheese– first it is literally folded into the dough, then slathered on top with nuts and spices and rolled all up inside. The result is far better than a stale store-bought roll or an out-of-the-package pillsbury batch. The dough is moist and fluffy and pulls apart oh so easily, while the filling is crammed with creamy cinnamon that oozes out of every nook and cranny. These take time, but make some room for them in your day. You can also let them rise the second time overnight (or a whole day) and just get extra-large rolls!

I had a great rainy Saturday morning watching cartoons and making these cinnamon rolls, and then baked them the following day for friends and housemates (who are now all very, very good friends. These rolls will solidify any friendship). They would be great for a potluck-brunch or feeding a house of growing kids (aka college boys), but beware, you want to share with others or you’ll want to clean out the pan yourself.

I will do my best to describe the process, but if you need help, I’ve included Joy the Baker‘s photo tutorial at the end to help. Thanks to Joy for the adapted recipe! This is shared with Friday Potluck @ Ekats kitchen, The Saturday Evening Pot, Food on Fridays, Foodie Fridays, Wanderfood Wednesday, and Yeast Spotting.

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 10 cinnamon rolls. Active prep time: 30-40 minutes. Rise time: 4 hours. Cook time: 30 minutes. Total time: about 5 hours.

Cinnamon Roll Dough

1 – 1/4oz package active dry yeast (or 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon, plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for kneading
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

Cinnamon Filling

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cup warm water, as warm as you can get it from the tap. Whisk to combine and let sit until frothy and foamy, about 10 minutes. The add the remaining sugar, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat with a whisk until well combined.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:

1. IF YOU HAVE A STAND MIXER. Fit the bowl onto the mixer, fitting with the dough hook attachment. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough just begins to come together. Turn the machine on medium-high and knead the dough for 4 minutes. Then add the stick of butter and continue to knead for about 6 minutes. The dough will the wet and sticky. Place the dough on a well floured work surface, and knead about 1/3 cup all-purpose flour into the dough. The dough will still be sticky, but that’s ok. Then return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (aka. anywhere if it’s the summer) for 1 1/2 or 2 hours or until doubled in size.

2. IF YOU LIKE TO USE YOUR HANDS/KEEP YOUR KITCHEN UNCLUTTERED WITH FANCY APPLIANCES. Add the flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until sticking together, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the stick of butter, slightly warmed to make it easier to incorporate, and an additional 1/3-2/3 cup flour until it is still sticky but stays together just enough to get your hands in it. Dump it onto a heavily floured surface and knead for an additional five minutes, adding more flour if necessary. It will be sticky, but that’s ok! It just makes for more fun, dough-covered monster hands. If you want to avoid these, just wet your hands before handling. Then return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, make the filling. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, dark brown sugar, pecans, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, salt and cloves in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in the maple syrup. Set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, dump it from the bowl onto a heavily floured work surface. Gently knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, adding more flour as needed (if you used a stand mixer, you will probably need to add up to another 1/4 cup). Work the dough for about 1 or 2 minutes. Once it’s no longer sticky, place a kitchen towel over the dough and let rest for 5 minutes before you roll it out. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with a knife until it’s smooth and spreadable.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 x 10-inch square. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the dough square. Fold the square into thirds like you would fold a letter to fit into an envelope. Then take the open ends of the rectangle and fold into thirds again, to make a small dough square.

Flip over the dough so that the seam is face down and, using the rolling pin, gently roll it into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. You make find that some cream cheese sneaks through. Be as gently as possible with the dough, but continue to work it until you reach the size you need.

Now we’re going to add the filling. Turn the dough so that the short sides are parallel to you. You’re going to roll from the short sides of the dough. Pour all of the filling onto the dough. Spread evenly, leaving a 1-inch boarder at one of the short edges of the dough so the roll can be properly sealed. Lightly press the filling into the dough.

Using your hands, lift up the bottom edge of the dough and roll it forward into a tight log (the tighter it is, the prettier the spirals of filling!). Place the log of dough seam side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp, thin knife, trim off the uneven edges. Then cut the log into 10 equal slices, starting at one end and being careful not to squish all the filling out when cutting. Nestle each slice in a buttered 9 x 13-inch metal baking dish giving them room to expand. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let rise for 2 hours. You may also refrigerate rolls overnight.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Uncover the rolls. If you refrigerated the rolls, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Joy’s photo tutorial (her filling looks different, but that’s ok, you can pretend):

Knead the dough on a heavily floured surface, adding more flour so the dough is no longer sticky.

Roll that darling in a 10 x 10-inch circle and cream cheese it!

Fold it up.

And again.

Keep folding.

Done!

Now roll again. This time to 10 x 20-inches.

Time for the good stuff.

And roll.

Trim the edges and slice into 10 slices.

Into the pan.

pasta patties

Krista — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:43:40 +0000

It was one of those moment where I didn’t know if I was bringing people to a drinks/appetizer event, or a dinner party. It was eight o’clock and a vaguely food-friendly location, but I was hungry enough that I didn’t want to be the one awkwardly scarfing down a huge dinner platter while friends mingled. Instead, I whipped up a quick “appetizer” of pasta patties, though these would suffice as dinner if necessary, complete with the essential carbs and proteins.

Asian quick-noodles are wonderful for this dish because they absorb flavors really well and are ready in under five minutes; but the original recipe/idea actually called for leftover noodles. When does that ever happen? I’ve always been one to make only the amount of pasta I need, and toss the rest– what do I want with cold clumpy noodles? Well, never again. I’ll be making these a lot.

This recipe is really simple and can be adapted for what you have in the fridge. The main idea is to toss the pasta with enough egg that it will hold together and leave the rest to fate. I liked the idea of asian spices like curry paste and soy sauce, but I’ll be trying this soon with more classic summer flavors like grape tomatoes, cilantro and lime, or maybe upgrade the noodles to soba or buckwheat so that I’ll have some in the fridge for later.

Thanks to Heather from 101 Cookbooks for her idea of curried noodle patties. This recipe is shared with Presto Pasta Nights hosted this week by My Slap Happy Kitchen, the Hearth and Soul blog hop at A Moderate Life, Tuesday Night Supper Club, and Tuesdays at the Table.

Curry Pasta Patties

Makes 8-10 patties. Total time: 15 minutes.

1-2 teaspoons (red) Thai curry paste
4 eggs
4 ounces tofu
1/2 a medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups noodles
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
olive oil for frying
peanuts, green onions and cilantro for garnish (optional)

Use any leftover cold noodles, or quickly boil some water and cook fresh noodles. I decided to use Korean “Instant Cook Noodles,” which are rounded rice noodles that take less than five minutes to cook and are highly absorbent. Feel free to prepare noodles ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a few days.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, curry paste and salt together until well incorporated and the paste is smooth. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, and tofu. I used smoked tofu, which is a thicker block of tofu with smokey flavors, which is very similar to baked tofu. Otherwise, use strained extra firm tofu. Add noodles and mix well.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place about 1/3 cup of the noodle mixture in a handle-less metal biscuit cutter or egg rings, and spin the noodles with a fork into a spiral and pat down flat with a spatula. Otherwise, for less decorative but just as tasty patties. plop the noodles onto the frying pan and flatten with a spatula into a circle shape (this is what I did, and it was wonderful). If some of the tofu escapes, just toss it on top, and when you flip the patty it will end up on the bottom, nice and crispy.

Cook for about three minutes, until it is golden on the bottom and holds together well enough to flip, and then cook for another two minutes on the other side. Cook three or four at a time as the size of the pan allows, and repeat adding oil until all the noodles are cooked.