Broiled Lamb Rack

Broiled Lamb Rack... This has got to be one of our favorite special occasion meals in our home. We often have this meal for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and any other day we feel like it. This was one of those days... we were actually reminiscing about our Christmas dinner in London. We had some great rack of lamb from the Borough Market, delicious and full of flavor,...but in this case, our rack of lamb came from Costco! Needless to say, it sufficed our cravings and was just as delicious. I like keeping this recipe simple....just a few ingredients. It comes together very quickly... We like to serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, asparagus and sometimes mushrooms. You can fancy it up a bit by serving it with some mint jelly and a pan sauce.

You will need:

1 rack of lamb ( I like to take out most of the fat)

kosher salt

coarse pepper

rosemary

chopped mint (optional)

olive oil

In a small bowl, place salt, pepper, rosemary, chopped mint. Mix the seasoning. Rub the lamb of rack with a drizzle or two of olive oil. Add the seasoning all over.

In a skillet sear the lamb of rack turning every so often so as not to burn. Sear for 2-3 minutes.

Place rack in a shallow oven dish (or if you have a oven proof skillet) .

Bake in a preheated 425-450 oven for 15- 20 minutes or until desired doneness.

Homemade Yeast-Raised Glazed Doughnuts(King Arthur Flour)

Yeast-Raised Glazed Doughnuts...Making your own doughnuts at home....hmmm....I usually try not to make doughnuts at home too often. They are just too good and maybe not so healthy but, every so often...hmmm. The good news is that I probably make them maybe once a year!

But, I recently came across this recipe from King Arthur Flour and wanted to try their version. Oh, my weakness with cookbooks!When I find new recipes, I tend to want to try them! So, I think we will be done with doughnuts for this year...:)!

I found out these doughnuts were extremely soft and pillowy! There are a few tips that are worth noting when making this recipe(see italics). I varied them by making crullers (twisting strips of dough and doubling it) and chocolate glazed. I even ventured out to make a bear claw(with bits of apple/cinnamon)...but, it was quickly eaten before I could take a picture of it! But here is the recipe as I made it. Hope you enjoy...

Doughnut Ingredients: (adapted from: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook ) ... Makes about 16 round doughnuts plus doughnut holes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

3 cups (12 3/4 oz) unbleached all purpose flour

1 large egg

1 cup (8 oz) milk

2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups (2 lbs) vegetable oil or shortening (2 1/2 lbs), for frying (I used a smaller pot and used less oil)

Glaze:(I made my own glaze using less amounts since I also made a chocolate glaze as well...but you can just do plain)

1/4 cup (2 oz) milk

2 cups (8 oz) confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir the milk into the confectioners' sugar until it is smooth, then add the vanilla.

Chocolate Glaze:

3-4 TBS whipping cream(heated to almost boiling)

chocolate bar (or use chocolate chips ~about 1/2 cup)

* add more chocolate if the glaze is too thin

Add hot whipping cream over chopped chocolate ...let sit until chocolate is melted and then stir.

Toppings:

Coconut, chopped nuts, powder sugar, sprinkles if you like, etc.

Directions For Dough:

1.Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture, mixing until well combined.

3. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes by hand or mixer until you have a smooth, soft dough.
4. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, turn it over to grease the top, and let it rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

5. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Gently roll the dough out to 1/4 inch (I would do them quite a bit thicker next time) thickness and cut with a round cutter.

7. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap(I didn't bother) and let rise again for about 1 hour(Side note: I thought 1 hour was a bit too much...if you let the dough rise too much it will become too soft and in turn absorb too much oil...I would let it rise till almost doubled 20-30 minutes. This of course means that it is rising in a warm environment!), until doubled again.

8. Place oil or shortening in a heavy pan or deep skillet and heat to 350°F.(This is were you need to get the temp. just right or it will burn the doughnuts if the oil is too hot.)
9. Place the doughnuts in the oil, two or three at a time, and fry until golden brown.

10. Turn over and cook the second side. This should be no more than a minute(or less...they brown very quickly) on each side. Overcooking will make the doughnuts tough.
11. Drain on paper towels.

Glaze Doughnuts:
When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle (but still warm), dip the tops of the doughnuts into the milk/chocolate glaze, then place on a rack so the glaze will drip down.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie...Sometimes I like to make something special from something ordinary. This chicken pot pie becomes an elegant lunch in a matter of minutes. The puff pastry is so light and flaky...a great compliment to the creamy chicken pot pie. I used my own puff pastry recipe , but you can also just as easily use store bought.

This recipe is really just my own simple version of chicken pot pie.I like to stir fry my chicken pieces to bring out a deeper flavor...rather than just boiling it. I chose to use simple and basic vegetables, carrots, onions, celery, peas, potatoes, and a bit of garlic(for flavor). You can choose to use any vegetables you prefer.Try using mushrooms and corn. But, this is my version. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: This will make about 4-6 servings.

1 chicken breast, chunks + 2tsp oil for stir frying

2/3 cup diced carrots (about 2 carrots)

1 cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1/3 cup diced ham (this is optional)

1 cup onion,diced (about 1/2 large onion)

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp oil

3 cups potatoes, diced (about 4 medium potatoes)

4-5 TBS flour

1 cup milk

1 cup peas

1 bay leaf

1 -2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 beaten egg, glaze

Directions:

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Stir fry in 2 tsp oil till nicely browned. Set aside.

2. In a medium size soup pot on med/low add 2 tsp oil.
3. Add onion cook till almost tender.
4. Add celery , carrots and ham(if using).

5. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic.
6. Sprinkle 2-3 TBS of flour and cook for an additional minute or so.
7. Add potatoes and water until the potatoes are just covered with water. Add bay leaf.

8. Lower heat to low. Cook ten minutes covered. ...stir every so often so that it won't get burned at the bottom.
9. After ten minutes or so add the chicken.
 

10. Cover and cook till potatoes are tender.
11. Uncover and remove bay leaf. Add milk.
12. Make a slurry of 2 TBS flour plus some water(about 3-4 TBS water). Stir it in the soup.
13. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or so until thickened. If it is too thin, make a bit more slurry or cook down further until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning.
14. Add peas. Ladle into soup bowls.

15. Press a piece of puff pastry on top. You can brush the puff pastry with beaten egg for a shiny golden color.

16. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degF till nicely browned...approx 15-20 minutes. Just watch so that it doesn't burn. Really you just want the puff pastry to bake...everything else is cooked already.

Romanian Chicken Soup with Dumplings(Supa de galuste)

Romanian Chicken Soup with Dumplings... Both my husband and I grew up with this delicious soup. A Romanian classic soup... equivalent to the chicken and noodle soups here in the states. The soup was especially good on a rainy or cold day.

My mom always used semolina flour for the dumplings. I too use semolina flour for the dumplings , but this time around I didn't have any. I had some cream of wheat... and thought that it should work just as well....right? Well, I was happy to find out that they turned out great using cream of wheat! But whatever you use, either the traditional semolina or cream of wheat, I am sure it will come out. The semolina dumplings I think are a bit lighter in color than the cream of wheat.

There really isn't much to this soup except the dumplings. The dumplings can get hard, but if you will cover the pot and let it simmer, the dumplings will eventually soften. Feel free to use bone-in chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken to make the stock...I've even used about 8 chicken wings to make the soup as well. I've updated the photo:). Hope you enjoy...

Note: The top photo is of a semolina dumpling chicken soup made with chicken wings(for the soup stock). I ended up making less dumplings... 1 ex-large egg and 1/4- 1/3 cup semolina.

Tip: When you form the dumplings, make sure you first place your spoon in the hot soup before you actually form each dumpling... this will help the dumpling not stick to the spoon so much, makes for a cleaner looking dumpling.

You can lift the lid halfway through cooking when making the dumplings... just to make sure that no dumplings are sticking to the bottom. They should all rise up and float. Cover and continue to simmer... till soft and plump. The dumplings should be about doubled in size. You should be able to cut through the dumpling without any resistance. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and /or chopped green onions and/or pepper.

Soup Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, or a large Cornish hen

2 celery stalks

2 carrots

1 parsnip(if you have)
1 big yellow onion

2-3 garlic cloves

salt/pepper

Directions for Soup:

1. Wash chicken and place in a large pot.

2. Add celery,onion, garlic and carrots. My mom always used a parsnip. Add that in if you have it. I didn't have it ...it still came out great!

3. Add about 1 heaping TBS kosher salt. Cover with water to almost the top of the pot....oh, about 10-15 cups of water.

4. Heat on high and bring to boil. Skim off any grey matter(scum) that accumulates. Lower heat to low and semi cover it. Leave the lid askew so that it won't boil over.

5. Let it simmer on low for 1-2 hours.You can likewise to make the stock in a pressure cookier... it will take 40 minutes.

6.Taste for seasoning and adjust. Strain broth.

7. Reserve chicken meat for other use(chicken salad, enchiladas,quesadillas etc).

8. Make dumplings.

Dumpling Mixture:Do the dumplings only before you are ready to form them and the stock is ready.

2 ex large eggs, beaten

1/2(+/-) cup semolina flour, or you can use cream of wheat

salt

pepper, optional

1 tsp onion powder(totally optional...I sometimes add it for additional flavor)

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs. Add the semolina(or cream of wheat, if using)... start with 1/3 cup for every 2 ex-large eggs.... and then add a bit extra semolina if needed( up to 1/2 cup or so).
2. Mix to fully incorporate. You may need to add a bit extra semolina, a bit at a time, if the mixture is too, too runny( all depends on the size of the eggs)... but don't add too much, as the dumplings can get to be tough if the semolina mixture is too thick. Rather err on adding less semolina and letting the mixture rest longer.  You still want the mixture to be somewhat soft... the consistency of sour cream(as my mom told me).
3. Allow the dumpling mixture to rest until thickened(about 5 minutes)... you should be able to form a dumpling without it falling apart, but it will still be a bit soft. You may want to add one dumpling in the soup to check for consistency and see if it falls apart in the soup right away.... if it does, let it rest a bit more, or add a tiny amount of semolina flour if need be.    

4. Before you form the dumplings, place your silverware teaspoon or tablespoon in the hot stock, then form dumplings mixture....this helps the dumpling fall off the teaspoon without sticking. They will plump up to twice their size.

Continue with making the soup....

1. Bring broth to a boil and then lower heat to medium so that it is a soft boil.....I noticed if the broth boils rapidly, it will sometimes break up the dumplings.

2. Add dumplings using a silverware teaspoon to form them into a semi football shape. After all the dumplings are made give them a stir in the broth to make sure they don't stick to the bottom.

3. Add 1/2 cup cold water and cover. Bring back to boil and then lower heat to simmer.
4. Cover the pot and simmer for 20-40 minutes... or until dumplings are fork tender.

Homemade Multi Colored Pasta

Homemade Striped Colored Pasta....My first attempt at making homemade pasta...handmade...no pasta machine! I have to admit that this recipe was inspired by a blog I visited recently. I was blown away with her creativity! You can visit her blog here. Her creations are amazing! Oh, I forgot to mention that her blog is in German!:) ...pictures are fabulous...and if you know a bit of German you will understand it more than I did!

I just loved that she used natural food colors and not any food dyes. I just used a basic pasta dough that I mixed the various colors into it to make the stripes. I just really used my own amounts with the coloring and I found out later after I boiled them that the colors faded a bit(though I think that is normal). Next time, I will knead in more of the colors. I found some colored powders at my local Natural Foods store. They didn't have too many choices...but, I was grateful for what I found. Enough to make my pasta creations!

I used beetroot powder,tomato powder,barley powder and the regular uncolored dough. You can easily substitute for the barley (broccoli,spinach,parsley,cilantro). The tomato powder can be substituted by carrot powder. You can also use turmeric to make a yellow dough. This is fun to be creative with....how about checkers instead of stripes, bi colored, tri colored or just making individual colors? Have fun with this recipe! Hope you enjoy...

Pasta dough ingredients:(or use your own favorite pasta dough recipe)

1 cup flour

1 cup semolina flour

2 eggs

2-3 TBS water

1 tsp salt

2 tsp oil

food powders (beetroot,tomato,spinach etc... amount depends on how bright you want the colors to be...start with 1 tsp.)

*you can just use eggs instead of adding oil and water...add 3 eggs instead of 2

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine and whisk semolina flour, flour, and salt.
2. Make a well in the middle and add eggs.

3. Mix and incorporate the eggs with your hands.
4. Add oil and knead...adding 1 TBS of water to dough until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.

5.Split the dough into 5 parts.
6. Add a different color powder to 3 of the dough pieces leaving 2 dough pieces plain colored.

 7. Knead in the colored powder into the dough for approx. 8-9 minutes by hand or until smooth and elastic/pliable.
8. Roll each dough piece out to 1/4 inch or so(depending how wide you want the lines to be).

9. Place each dough piece on top of each other, alternating with a plain color to make stripes.

Make sure you seal the layers with a bit of water( you can use a damp/wet towel to wipe the layers).
10. Cut rough ends off and then cut into 1 inch strips.
11. Seal 2-3 strips together(use the damp towel).

12. Gently roll pasta dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. If you have a pasta machine, this step would be much easier!

13. Use pasta dough to make ravioli.... or make fettuccine.... or make bow ties.
14. Cook in salted boiling water till desired doneness.

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies(Homemade)

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies... I don't know if you have ever wanted to bake something so bad because of a picture you saw, because it looked so, so gooood to you. Well, I first saw this recipe on tastespotting a few months ago. It was featured by Once upon a plate, and she made the homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies that caught my eye.... an outstanding job with the presentation.

I have since then wanted to make them. They looked sooo goood that I had to try making them once at least. Mari from Once Upon a Plate  actually credits  BakingBites for the recipe. So, I in turn, thank both of them for the recipe! I suggest that you read the original recipe found on either of their blogs.

But I have a few tips that will make the cookies not so labor intensive... and to help a bit with the baking/asembling process. Just some things I've learned along the way. I know I will still try to improve on the aesthetics of my cookies so that they too will look somewhat professional.

I like to make recipes from scratch as close as I can... but this recipe does involve using store bought caramels. I think I will be in search of homemade caramels that I would like to use next time. For now though, I have opted to follow the recipe almost to the tee:)!

How were the cookies?....they were just too good....excellent!!! I had to put them in the freezer(in the back somewhere), so that we wouldn't eat more than our share! It was a lot of fun making these cookies. Hope you enjoy...

Here are the tips:

~I made the cookie dough a day in advance(you can also put in fridge for a few hours) to solidify the butter which eliminates the cookie from spreading out when baked.

~Shaped the dough in a round log...about 2 inch in diameter...I didn't want to mess around with rolling the dough between parchment paper and having it stick... This was mess free!!!

~The thickness of the cookie matters!!...don't make them too thin or they will break on you...rather err on a thicker cookie.

~Don't overbake/underbake the cookies...just until it is lightly golden around the edges.

~Used the end of decorating piping tips to form the inside hole...the hole will somewhat shrink as it bakes...I used the decorating piping tip to reform the hole after the cookies had cooled....you don't have to do that.

~I think the best way to melt the chocolate is in a double boiler...this keeps the chocolate warm and fluid like and therefore easier to dip the cookies.

~The caramel mixture needs to be kept warm as well...if it cools too much it will clump on you and not stick to the cookies.

~ I did not use the milk at all and omitted the salt

~You can toast the coconut the day before.

~This recipe will come together much faster if you have an extra pair of hands.

Cookie Ingredients:(Adapted from Baking Bites with a few alterations).Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies(original recipe)....I made mine a bit bigger and thus you get a few less.

1 cup butter, soft

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

up to 2 tbsp milk

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball.
3. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
4. Place dough unto a plastic wrap and from into a log (about 2 inch in diameter)....
5. Refrigerate overnight or for a few hours until hard.

Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Unwrap cookie dough( you may need to gentle roll the log back and forth, so it looses the straight bottom on which it has sat ... basically make the log as round as possible)... and cut into 1/4 inch or slightly thicker slices.

2. Using a 1/2 inch round cutter or the end of a piping tip, form holes.

3. Roll the extra tidbits(cookie holes and ends) of dough out to form remaining cookies using a 1 1/2 to 2 inch cookie cutter to make them round.
4. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Watch it though, mine took about 9 minutes. It all depends on your oven.
6. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping Ingredients:

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

12-oz good-quality chewy caramels I used the whole Kraft bag (14 oz)

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp milk

8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)...you will probably need more/less

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 deg F
1. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. I noticed mine started to brown rather quickly after only 10 minutes, so I never kept them for the full 20 minutes. You don't want burned coconut!
2. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt.

4. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

5. Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.6. While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl.
7. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching.
8. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper.
9. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
10. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.