Ingredient: cold water

Chicken & Rice Casserole

The one-dish chicken and rice casserole emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a popular, economical and convenient meal. The history of this dish is closely tied to the marketing efforts of the Campbell’s Soup Company and the post-World War II desire for easy, time-saving meals. 

Campbells introduced its condensed cream of mushroom and chicken noodle soups in the 1930s. In the 1940s and 1950s, the company’s test kitchens began developing and promoting recipes that used their canned soups as a base, marketing them as time-saving ingredients for busy housewives. The canned soup provided a ready-made, creamy, and flavorful sauce that simplified meal preparation.

These types of casseroles became a staple of North American comfort food, especially popular at communal gatherings like church suppers, potlucks, and family reunions.

Today, the classic Campbell’s chicken and rice casserole remains a well-known recipe, though modern variations often use homemade sauces to avoid processed ingredients. 

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 Chicken & Rice Casserole
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken & rice casserole
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken & rice casserole
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together rice, soups, onion soup mix, water, garlic, parsley & Worcestershire sauce.
  3. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Press chicken into mixture. Sprinkle with paprika, then cover tightly with foil paper.
  4. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Do NOT open cover during baking time.
  5. Sprinkle with fresh parsley for a garnish.
Recipe Notes
  • Instead of a whole chicken, use whatever pieces you wish either bone-in, skin-on or boneless/skinless, your choice. 

Adzuki Sweet Red Bean Rugelach

Aduki, or adzuki beans, also known as cowpeas or red mung beans, are small red sweet-flavored beans popular in Oriental cuisine. They come from East Asia and are prevalent in places like Japan, China, and Korea, playing a versatile role that can be used in sweet and savory dishes.

  • Regarding sweet dishes, you can use them to make red bean paste, which can be used as a filling for desserts like mochi, pancakes, or ice cream. You can also use them to make sweet aduki bean soup, a popular dessert in Japan.
  • Adzuki beans can also be used in savory dishes, such as stews, soups, and curries. They work particularly well in dishes with a slightly sweet flavor, such as a Japanese-style curry.
  • Using adzuki beans in a salad adds some protein and texture. They work particularly well in salads with a slightly sweet dressing, such as a sweet mustard dressing.
  • For a snack, adzuki beans can be roasted in the oven with some spices to create a crunchy snack high in protein and fiber.

Rugelach is an irresistible baked treat which is both delicious and versatile. So is it a pastry or a cookie? Rugelach’s unique buttery, tender dough wrapped around any variety of tasty fillings seems to straddle the line.

Traditionally, rugelach was made with yeast dough but the pastry has evolved and is now made with cream cheese which is both quicker and easier to make. The cream cheese dough was first used by North American bakers in the 1940’s, and now forms the staple of the modern rugelach we know today.

This Jewish-Asian fusion cookie combines Jewish rugelach pastry and the widely popular Asian dessert filling: adzuki red bean paste. The pastry dough and red bean paste are rolled together, then sprinkled with black sesame seeds and coarse sugar. When baked it creates a cookie that is ‘nutty’, sweet, buttery and crispy. Perfect for the holidays!

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 Adzuki Sweet Red Bean Rugelach
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Course dessert
Cuisine Asia
Keyword adzuki red bean rugelach
Servings
Ingredients
Rugelach
Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine Asia
Keyword adzuki red bean rugelach
Servings
Ingredients
Rugelach
Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. In a food processor, whisk together flour & salt. Add cream cheese & butter; cut into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
  2. Add egg yolk & cold water to the dough, combining until the mixture is thoroughly moistened & clumpy. Gather dough together into a rough ball & divide in half, flattening each half into a disk. Wrap disks & refrigerate, 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Roll out each disk into a 1/8" - 3/16" thick circle, dusting with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Spread with red bean paste, leaving a 1/4" border around the edges. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into 16 equal triangular slices.
  5. To roll, cut a little notch into the wide end of the triangle & pull the ends apart slightly. Start with that same side & roll inwards, taking care not to roll too tightly and squeeze out the filling. Tuck the end underneath & pinch slightly to fix in place. Repeat for the remaining pieces. Brush rugelach lightly with egg wash then sprinkle with black sesame seeds & coarse sugar.
  6. Space at least 1" apart on baking sheet. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes. Bake for 20-24 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Remove, dust with a little powdered sugar, and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  7. Remove from oven & allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Domes

Strawberries — loved for their sweet taste and heart shape, have symbolized purity, perfection, love and passion throughout the ages. It is very common for us to give little thought to where our food comes from and the back breaking labor that it took to get it to our various parts of the country.

Travel can always be filed under the category ‘learning experience’. I find it so important to set oneself outside our ‘bubble’ to fully understand and not become complacent about the many things we take for granted.

Over the years, Brion and I have spent many holiday hours travelling along the Big Sur coast of California, USA. While there we would use Monterrey as our ‘home base’ and make little day trips to the surrounding area. Just inland from Monterrey is the agricultural jewel known as the Salinas Valley. This is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions of California. Having a unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure (less than 10 miles away) provides moderate temperatures year-round. Warm sunny days and cool foggy nights are the perfect combination for growing strawberries.

I find myself going back to those years I was raised on the farm when Brion & I were driving along looking at the fields of produce growing. I have often felt much appreciation and compassion for the farm workers standing, bent over in the heat of the blazing sun for hours tending these crops.

I have many memories of my own parents working long, hard hours to provide for us on our family farm. I am grateful to have learned to appreciate the efforts of others that make life good.

These strawberry mousse ‘domes’ celebrate those wonderful strawberries as well as satisfying the chocolate lover.

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 Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Domes
Votes: 1
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Course dessert
Keyword chocolate covered strawberry mousse cakes
Servings
Ingredients
Brownie
Strawberry Mousse
Glaze
Course dessert
Keyword chocolate covered strawberry mousse cakes
Servings
Ingredients
Brownie
Strawberry Mousse
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Brownie
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Lightly butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan & line with a 9-inch strip of parchment paper (the two short ends will be uncovered); lightly butter parchment.
  3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat & add chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth (the residual heat from the pan should be plenty to melt the chocolate.)
  4. Stir in sugar; mixture should be lukewarm, no longer hot to the touch. If it's still pretty warm, let it cool for a minute or two.
  5. Whisk in eggs until batter is smooth & shiny.
  6. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chocolate mixture & fold with a spatula until just incorporated.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan & spread into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes or until top is set & a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not gooey batter). Set pan on a wire rack & let cool completely. The brownie layer can be made a day ahead of time; once cool, cover pan tightly and refrigerate overnight until ready to use.
  8. Lift the cooled brownie out of the pan using the parchment overhang as handles. Cut off the edges, then cut into six 2-inch squares.
Strawberry Mousse
  1. Place water in a small dish; sprinkle gelatin over top & set aside to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Heat milk in a small saucepan set over low heat until it just starts to steam (try not to let it boil).
  3. Mix together egg yolk & sugar in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Slowly spoon some of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until the paste thins out a bit. Drizzle in the remaining milk & whisk until smooth.
  4. Return mixture to the saucepan & return to low heat & cook, stirring & scraping the bottom of the pan consistently, until the mixture thickens slightly to coat the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove from heat & whisk in gelatin until smooth. Transfer to a medium-large bowl & set aside.
  6. Meanwhile, purée strawberries & lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1/2 cup purée, if you have more than that save the excess for another use). Whisk strawberry purée into lukewarm custard mixture, then place bowl in refrigerator while you whip the cream.
  7. In a clean bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Add 1/3 of cream to the cooled strawberry mixture & fold to lighten, then add remaining cream & fold until fully incorporated & no white streaks or lumps remain.
  8. To assemble your cakes, spoon or pipe the mousse into 5- (4 oz) silicone dome molds (they’re just over 3 inches in diameter), about 2/3 of the way full. Gently press a brownie square into the top of each mousse-filled mold. Scrape with an offset spatula to make the top perfectly level with the top of the mold. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight until completely firm.
  9. Before you make the glaze, remove cakes from molds and place on a frozen cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Return to freezer until just before glazing.
Glaze
  1. Place chopped chocolate in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat cream & corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble (do not let it boil).
  3. Pour over chopped chocolate & let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, starting in the center & moving in gentle concentric circles until an emulsion forms, then working your way out to the edges until the entire mixture is smooth & emulsified.
  4. Remove cakes from freezer & place on a cookie sheet, elevated off the sheet using small jars or cookie cutters (ideally something smaller in diameter than the cake itself so the glaze can drip off). You may also want to cut out small rounds of parchment to place under each cake to make them easier to transfer.
  5. Pour glaze generously over cakes, taking care to ensure there are no bare spots left. Gently scrape the edges to remove any remaining drops, then carefully transfer cakes using a small offset spatula to cardboard cake rounds or small pieces of cardboard for easy movement. Any leftover glaze can be scraped up & refrigerated in an airtight container for another use.
  6. Glazed cakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

In keeping with Valentines Day, I’m pairing the classic duo of strawberry & chocolate today. At some point, in the many years I spent in the commercial food service industry, I learned the history of the iconic Danish Rum Balls or ‘Romkugler’. These legendary little sweets came about due to leftovers and day old cake that Danish bakers couldn’t sell. Even though they did their best to make the right amount of baked goods so that it would all be sold during the day, they always had leftovers which would not be fresh enough to be sold the day after. They came up with an idea to add jam & rum extract to the day old chocolate cake and the classic rum ball was created.

Today, the rum ball is not considered an unwanted leftover or solely made to avoid food waste. Instead, these little ‘cakes’ continue to appear on the present day bakery shelves.

I think these mini rum balls are the perfect compliment to the strawberry cheesecakes. Sweet, but heh …. its Valentines!!

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 Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch, European
Keyword strawberry cheesecake + Danish rum balls
Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Crumb Base
Cheesecake
Garnishes
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Course dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch, European
Keyword strawberry cheesecake + Danish rum balls
Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Crumb Base
Cheesecake
Garnishes
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Crumb Base
  1. In a small bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, sugar & melted butter (mixture should have the consistency of wet sand). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of each 'cup' of an individual cheesecake pan. Press the mixture down firmly to form the crust.
Cheesecake Batter
  1. Dice 150 gm strawberries. Reserve several strawberries for garnish.
  2. Process strawberries in a food processor slightly; add softened cream cheese, sugar, orange & lemon juices. Continue to process until very smooth.
  3. Soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Beat into cheese mixture.
  4. Divide cheesecake batter between 14 individual 'cups' in cheesecake pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove cheesecakes from molds.
Mini Rum Balls
  1. In a food processor, process cake until crumbly. Add jam & rum then process until the dough has a uniform consistency.
  2. Roll dough into 1/2 oz. size balls. Refrigerate until chilled for about an hour..
  3. In a double boiler, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring until smooth. Roll balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a piece of dry wax paper until set.
  4. When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with a rosette of whipped cream & a slice of strawberry garnished with a mint leaf. Serve with a Danish rum ball on the side.
Recipe Notes
  • If you're cheesecake pan only has 12 cups, use a mini muffin pan for the extra two cheesecakes.
  • If you want to increase the strawberry flavor in the cheesecakes add 1/2 tsp Lor Ann strawberry flavor to the batter and for some extra color, a bit of red GEL food coloring.
  • If you wish, don't hesitate to add finely chopped nuts to the rum balls or roll them in chocolate sprinkles.

French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes

BIRTHDAY WISHES!

Angel food cake has always been one of Brion’s favorite desserts. I’m not sure why but it is and since we are celebrating his birthday today, I’m pulling out all the stops and making a French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes!

With its featherlight crumb, gleaming white hue, and fat-free formula, angel food cakes are a perfect canvas for fresh summer fruit and a little whipped cream. It’s just that, while angel food cake with fruit and cream is a quick dessert, it’s not exactly an impressive one.

If you chose to take the angel food cake in a celebratory (say, birthday) direction, it can be stunning.

Fill It: turn your angel food cake into a faux Boston Cream Cake with some custard and chocolate ganache.

Slice It: in horizontal layers, spread some lemon curd between the pieces and replace the top. 

Layer It: cut the cake in half, making two layers. Slather banana pudding on top of the bottom layer and top the pudding with banana slices. Place the top cake layer over the bananas and drizzle the whole cake with a thick layer of caramel sauce.

Grill It: using balsamic butter, along with fresh strawberries, create a unique dessert. Serve with ice cream for the perfect end to any backyard barbecue.

Frost It: with some ultra-smooth and creamy French silk mousse (the smooth chocolate mousse sort of resembles the softness of silk). Add some fresh strawberries and you have party food!

As we grow older, it comes clearer everyday, what a special privilege it is to simply have each other to share life with. The little everyday things seem to take on a much greater importance. Maybe its the state of our world at this time that has made it very clear not to take anything for granted. Throughout our married life Brion has always gone above and beyond to look after us. I am grateful to have the privilege of such a loving and caring husband.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRION, WITH LOVE!

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 French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes
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Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword French silk angel food
Servings
CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcakes
French Silk Mousse
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword French silk angel food
Servings
CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcakes
French Silk Mousse
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place paper or foil baking cups in 30 -36 regular sized muffin cups.
  2. Beat cake mix, cornstarch, vanilla & water in an extra large glass or metal bowl on low speed for 30 seconds then beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes. Fill cups 2/3-3/4 full of batter.
  3. Bake 12 - 20 minutes or until golden brown & cracks feel dry. Remove from oven & cool completely.
Mousse Topping
  1. Melt chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, then stir, heat for 30 seconds again, then stir well, then heat in 10 second increments, stirring between each, until smooth. Allow to cool 5 minutes.
  2. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Add chocolate & mix to combined, then mix in vanilla. Fold in the cool whip.
  3. Spoon mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Make a generous swirl on top of each cupcake & decorate with some sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until served.

Chinese Char Siu Pork Meatballs

The meatball is a food that transcends cultures. Char siu pork meatballs, are one of the most popular pork dishes in Chinese/Cantonese cuisine and one of the most ordered dishes in restaurants.

They are full of all the flavors we love in Chinese food takeout. Salty, sweet, smoky, charred edges with juicy tender pork inside. Todays recipe was inspired by Chinese char siu with the use of 5-spice powder giving them that unmistakable flavor. This is a blend of star anise, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and Chinese cinnamon.

Char siu, loses something in its basic English name, barbecued pork. This sweetly marinated and basted meat has become a symbol of comfort food in Cantonese cuisine and means so much more than just barbecued or roasted meat.

The traditional dish is made from seasoned boneless pork. The pork is covered in a sweet, savory glaze and placed on wooden skewers or forks over low heat. It’s cooked until tender but not falling apart. The use of the skewers changes how the meat cooks. It should heat slowly and evenly from all sides. The char siu marinade is very distinctive in its flavor. Many cuts of pork can be used in char siu such as neck meat, pork belly and pork butt. Just about any lean boneless cut will work but I like pork tenderloin the best.

Meatballs are one of those creations that can be used in many different applications. The flavor profile can be varied with different spices or sauces. When they are paired with rice or noodles, they make a good main course. Alternatively, they are perfect as an appetizer or even just a snack. You can also make them in bulk and freeze them for use later. What’s not to love about something so versatile?

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 Chinese Char Siu Pork Meatballs
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Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword Chinese pork meatballs
Servings
MEATBALLS
Ingredients
Meatballs
Sweet & Spicy Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword Chinese pork meatballs
Servings
MEATBALLS
Ingredients
Meatballs
Sweet & Spicy Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Meatballs
  1. In a large bowl, combine pork, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, five-spice powder & pepper. Mix well. Divide mixture into 20 pieces & roll into balls.
  2. in a skillet, heat oil. Fry meatballs in batches. Cook without moving for about 2 minutes or until the bottoms are cooked through. Use a spatula to carefully rotate the meatballs to cook on the other sides. Remove from skillet to paper towel.
Sauce
  1. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine all your sauce ingredients except the water and cornstarch. Pour your sauce mix in the skillet heat over medium low heat.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour in the skillet while stirring continuously. When the sauce begins to thicken add the meatballs back to the skillet and allow it to cook over low for 3-4 minutes, until they are coated.

Shrimp & Chicken Pelmeni

Though they come in all shapes and sizes, dumplings are a near-universal culinary constant as almost every culture has one. So naturally, dumpling recipes are incredibly versatile, coming with a wide array of fillings, wrappers, shapes and sizes. Eaten as an appetizer, dessert, side dish or for the main meal, they might just be the ultimate comfort food.

Chicken and shrimp go together surprisingly well, and this dish is no exception. In March of this year (2021), I posted a blog about Russian Pelmeni. Since then, Brion & I have had ‘pelmeni’ numerous times in which I’ve experimented with various fillings. In case you’re not familiar with these dumplings, traditional Russian pelmeni consist of a filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough. The word “pelmeni” describes the ear-shaped appearance of these dumplings.

When I made them for the March blog, I used a different technique for preparing them. Instead of making them into the traditional ear shape, I rolled the dough out into a large rectangle. I then spread the raw meat filling over it very thinly and rolled it up in a jelly roll fashion. After slicing the roll into 2-inch pieces, they were steam cooked in broth in a skillet. It’s a quick and easy take on authentic pelmeni.

Since Brion & I eat a lot of chicken and shrimp, I could see no reason to ‘develop’ a new version with an almost oriental twist on it.

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 Shrimp & Chicken Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword chicken & shrimp pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Broth for Steaming Pelmeni
Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword chicken & shrimp pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Broth for Steaming Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Dough
  1. In a bowl, combine all dough ingredients & knead until a smooth dough ball forms, about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap & set aside to rest until your filling is prepared.
Filling
  1. Chop mushrooms & mince garlic. In a skillet, heat butter & add garlic. When aromatic & light golden, add mushrooms & a light sprinkle of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant, soft & roughly a third of the original volume. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
  2. Chop shrimp into pieces the size of large peas. Add to the mushrooms with the chicken, green onion, water chestnuts & ginger. Combine with a fork.
  3. Stir together salt & white pepper, sugar, soy sauce & water. Pour over the filling; stir to mix & firm up. Cover & set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Assembly
  1. Once dough has rested, transfer to a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large, THIN rectangle. Spread filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch at the far side of the dough.
  2. Tightly roll dough up, starting from the wider side, forming a log. Put seam side down to seal the edges. Seal ends of the dough as well. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough log into 2-inch sections.
  3. In a large skillet that will accommodate all pelmeni, heat oil & cook onion until translucent. Add garlic & continue cooking until fragrant. Add grated carrot; cook about 1-2 minutes more.
  4. Place pelmeni rolls on top of veggies, add vegetable broth, salt & pepper. Cover with a lid & simmer for 30 minutes on a low heat. Check pelmeni from time to time, to make sure there is still some broth in the skillet. Add more broth if it evaporates too fast. Garnish with extra sliced green onions if desired. Serve.
Recipe Notes
  • A nice condiment for these dumplings would be a sweet chili sauce.

Comte Apple Pie Bites

Cheese, generally speaking, is not a tough sell. Even so, it is hard sometimes to convince someone to stray from the usual cheesy standbys and try something new. Comte is a creamy, nutty tasting French cheese that absolutely deserves to be checked out.

A fairly firm cheese that can be sliced, cubed or grated. Besides being versatile for uses in both sweet and savory cooking, Comte has a good shelf life. If you buy a wedge and it doesn’t get entirely used up, it can sit in the fridge for a week or three and it will be fine.

Cheese and dessert pairings are almost better than cheese and wine pairings. If you have the right cheese and dessert, the contrasting flavors complement each other so well you’ll never eat one without the other again. Your probably quite familiar with apple pie and cheddar cheese. The nutty, earthy flavor of the Comte cheese in these little pie bites definitely kicks that ‘sweet-savory’ appeal up a notch.

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 Comte Apple Pie Bites
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, French
Keyword Comte apple pie bites
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Apple/Cheese Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American, French
Keyword Comte apple pie bites
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Apple/Cheese Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pastry
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar & salt. Cube butter & cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until butter is about pea size & mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Add cold water, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with a fork ONLY until dough starts to pull together. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface & shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic & chill for an hour.
Filling
  1. Place the chopped apples, cinnamon, sugar & lemon juice into a skillet over medium high heat. Cook, stirring often, until all the liquid has completely evaporated & the apples have softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat & place in a small bowl; add flour. Stir to combine. Cool completely before using. If apples are too wet, drain away any excess liquid.
Assembly
  1. Prepare egg wash. Remove pastry from fridge & roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 18 rounds.
  2. On each round place a heaping teaspoon of apple filling & sprinkle with a bit of Comte cheese. Fold in half & seal with a fork or alternately use a perogy cutter to cut , fold & seal.
  3. Place the mini turnovers on a parchment lined baking sheet & keep in the fridge or freezer while you continue to make the rest of the pastries.
Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Brush egg was all over the pastry crusts. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of coarse sugar. Bake for about 14 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
  3. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese & place pastries on a wire rack to cool.

Italian Rice Pudding Tarts (Budini di Riso)

This week we celebrate my husband, Brion’s birthday. In previous years I would be able to post a ‘birthday pic‘ with a wonderful holiday background …. you know the kind with tropical plants, ocean, and such. Due to the covid pandemic keeping us close to home for the last year or so, my birthday picture of Brion is in our back yard but notice we have a tropical Canna close by!! During the interlude away from being able to travel, Brion has had to wear another ‘hat’, and has been there for me through numerous surgeries. I am incredibly grateful for that and the speedy recovery that comes through such love & care.

I had read about this little treat sometime back but had put it on hold for a special occasion and today’s the day!

Named after the principal ingredient used in the filling, budini di riso is a typical pastry coming from Siena, a medieval city in the region of Tuscany, located in the north of Italy.

Every summer, from May to July, until the 1960’s (and even 1970’s in some places), thousands of female seasonal workers would make their way to the Po Valley in northern Italy. Here, in the rice fields, they went to work as ‘mondine’. Their task was to remove weeds that could stunt the growth of the rice plants.

The compensation of these women consisted not only in money but also 1 kg of rice for each day of work. Hence the wide spread use of rice throughout the region in both savory and sweet preparations.

This rice custard tart is a combination of a creamy, vanilla scented rice pudding with a caramelized top, all baked in a crisp shortbread pastry crust. There are many variations for this Italian classic. Some like to make it with a crust, others prefer it without. Other recipes may also add fresh squeezed lemon juice for a citrus flavor.

Today, rice is the world’s most widely consumed cereal grain, which means that virtually every culture has a rice pudding they call their own.

Part pie … part rice pudding, these little tarts can be eaten for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or for dessert, they are just plain good anytime.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO MY LOVE, YOU’RE THE BEST!

Print Recipe
 Italian Rice Pudding Tarts (Budini di Riso)
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, European, Italian
Keyword Italian rice pudding tarts
Servings
Ingredients
Short Crust Pastry Shells
Rice Pudding
Raspberry Topping
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, European, Italian
Keyword Italian rice pudding tarts
Servings
Ingredients
Short Crust Pastry Shells
Rice Pudding
Raspberry Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Tart Shells
  1. In a bowl, sift together flour, rice flour, powdered sugar, salt & baking powder. Add butter & rub together with fingertips to make soft crumbles.
  2. In a small bowl, beat egg; add to flour mixture & work into a smooth ball of dough. DO NOT OVERMIX. Flatten dough ball & wrap in plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator.
Rice Pudding (Filling)
  1. Place rice in a saucepot. Cover with water & bring to a boil. Rinse rise; return blanched rice back in saucepot & cover with milk. Add cinnamon stick & lemon zest. Cook over low heat, stirring often until rice has absorbed most of the milk & rice mixture becomes soupy.
  2. Remove rice-milk mixture from heat & add butter; stir well. Place rice mixture in a bowl to cool. Stir & cool for about 20 minutes. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar & vanilla; add to cooled rice mixture.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  4. Roll out the chilled pastry to a 1/8-inch thickness. Traditionally these little rice tarts have straight sides. The fastest way to do this is to cut out pastry disks with a glass or lid as big as the bottom of the muffin tin & press them gently in. Next cut with a knife some pastry strips to line the sides of the muffin tins. Press the pastry lightly with your fingers to seal the bottom with the side strips.
  5. Spoon the rice pudding into the pastry shells & bake about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Prepare raspberry topping.
Raspberry Topping
  1. In a saucepan, place frozen raspberries & heat until thawed. Stir in the sugar & bring to a slow simmer. In a cup, dissolve the cornstarch in water & stir into raspberry puree. Bring to a boil & simmer for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. The mixture will thicken a bit more as it cools.
Serving
  1. Serve rice tarts warm or cold with raspberry topping & yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream. If you would prefer, just a dusting of icing sugar or as is works just as well.

Russian Pelmeni

My love for noodles, dumplings, etc. probably could be accredited to my German heritage. This recipe for Russian pelmeni has been hovering in my ‘must try’ file for quite some time, so today’s the day.

It seems most food historians agree that these Russian dumplings originated in Siberia. Although pelmeni forms the heart of Russian cuisine and culture, it does have numerous look-a-likes in particular the Ukrainian vareniki and the Polish pierogi. The easiest way to spot the difference is to look at the shape and size; a typical pelmeni is almost circular and about two inches in diameter. The other forms are usually more elongated and larger in size.  Also, the fillings in pelmeni are usually raw, while the fillings of vareniki and pierogi are typically precooked. Pelmeni will never have a sweet filling , unlike its Ukrainian counterpart. The recipe may actually be an adaptation of Chinese pot stickers.

Fillings differ but essentially they are ground meat (pork, beef or sometimes lamb), fish or mushrooms as well as being quite spicy.

The word pelmeni comes from ‘pelnyan’ which means ‘bread ear’, a reference to the food’s ear-like shape.

Although this meal was favored by hunters who were looking for light, easy to prepare, nourishing food to take with them on long trips in the winter, its also seen as Russian fast food among students or bachelors.

This recipe gives you the option of making traditional pelmeni or using an alternate method called ‘lazy’ pelmeni. Both equally as good.

Print Recipe
 Russian Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Russian pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
For Cooking 'Lazy' Pelmeni
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Russian pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
For Cooking 'Lazy' Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a bowl, combine all dough ingredients & knead until a smooth dough ball forms, about 10 minutes. Cover, set aside & allow dough to rest until your filling is prepared.
Filling
  1. In a bowl, combine ground meats, onion, garlic, salt & pepper. Mix well.
Assembly
  1. FOR THE TRADITIONAL PELMENI: Divide the dough in half & roll each portion out into 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch diameter circles & place about a teaspoon of the filling on each circle. Fold the circle in half & crimp edges well, then bring the ends together & crimp. Repeat to use remaining dough & filling. It is best to refrigerate or freeze finished pelmeni before you are ready to boil them.
  2. To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place pelmeni in the boiling water & cook until they float to the top then cook for about 5 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add butter & mix to coat. Serve with sour cream & fresh parsley.
  3. FOR 'LAZY' PELMENI VERSION: Once dough has rested, transfer to a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large thin rectangle. Spread meat filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch at the far side of the dough.
  4. Tightly roll the dough up, starting from the wider side, forming a log. Put seam side down to seal the edges. Seal ends of the dough as well. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough log into 2-inch sections.
  5. In a large skillet that will accommodate all pelmeni, heat oil & cook onion until translucent. Add garlic & continue cooking until fragrant. Add carrot & 1 bay leaf; cook until the carrot is tender, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. Place pelmeni rolls into the skillet with veggies, add the vegetable broth, salt, pepper & the other bay leaf. Cover with the lid & cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Check pelmeni from time to time, to make sure there is liquid in the skillet. Add more if it evaporates too fast. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with sour cream if you wish.