Monday, January 14, 2008

Apple-Cranberry Crisp with Polenta Streusel Topping

I found this dessert in the December 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. It's a great rustic dessert for late fall or winter dinner parties.

Topping
1 tsp aniseed
1 1/2 c. pastry flour
3/4 c. polenta
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Toast aniseed in small skillet over medium heat until slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Place seeds in processor. Add next 5 ingredients; blend 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer mixture to bowl. Drizzle egg over and stir until ingredients are evenly moistened.

Filling
2 c. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Vanilla gelato or ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl; stir to blend. Add apples and lemon juice; toss to blend. Transfer filling to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 2 quart baking dish). Crumble topping finely over filling. Bake dessert until apples are tender, juices bubble thickly, and topping is crisp and golden, about 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes. Serve crisp warm with gelato. Makes 8 servings.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Squash Galette

Taken from my recipe Bible, aka Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

2 1/2 lb winter squash (eg butternut)
1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tbs olive oil, plus extra for the squash
1 onion, finely diced
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 tsp dried
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
Yeasted Tart Dough, recipe to follow.

Make the dough. Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash in half, scrape out seeds, brush cut surface with olive oil. Stuff garlic into the cavities and place the squash cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake until flesh is tender, about 40 min. Scoop out squash and squeeze garlic cloves. Mash them together with a fork until fairly smooth, leaving some texture.

Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over med heat. Add onion and sage and cook until onion is soft and beginning to color, about 12 min. Add it to the squash along with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the dough into a 14 inch round and spread filling over it, leaving a border of 2 inches or more. Pleat the dough over the filling, then brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 min.

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/8 tsp salt
1 3/4 c flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a medium bowl and let stand until bubbly, about 10 min. Add the oil, egg, and salt, then stir in some of the flour. When dough is too sticky to stir, turn out onto a floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 4 min. Add more flour if necessary to keep from sticking. Set dough in an oiled bowl and cover with towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 min - 1 hr. Turn the dough out, roll into thin circle. Place on greased baking sheet. Fill with filling.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Cornbread

Taken from the Rebar Modern Food cookbook. Rebar is a vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver, CAN. This is a great light cornbread and goes well with savory foods for dinner, or with honey for breakfast.

1 c cornmeal
1/2 c unbleached flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour (I use pastry)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Add the wet mix to the dry mix and fold them together until just blended. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 9" baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Currant Scones

Mix together in large bowl:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 c white flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (you can use pre-ground, but it will give the scones a slightly different flavor)

Cut in 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingers.

Mix in 1/2 c or more of currants, raisins, berries, etc. Can be fresh, frozen or dried.

Add 1 c milk and stir until dough forms a ball. Divide into two balls, press into large circles on a greased cookie sheet. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Rhubarb nectarine pie

Joy of Cooking's "basic pie dough"
Sift together:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 T brown sugar (my addition)
Measure and combine:
2/3 c. shortening
2 T butter
Work the dough together and add
4 T water
Mix it until you can pat the dough into a big ball. Add a tiny bit of water (<1T) if necessary. Don't overhandle the dough.
Divide dough in two parts, and roll out a top and bottom crust.

Pie Filling (my invention)
2 c. chopped rhubarb
3 c. diced nectarines with the skins still on
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 T cornstarch

Pour fruit into bottom crust. Cut up 1-2 T butter and scatter the pieces around in the fruit. Wet the edge of the bottom crust and put the top crust over it. Use a fork to squish the two crusts together. Poke holes in the top of the pie. Glaze it with a little cream. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over the top. Bake 10 minutes at 450º, then lower the heat to 350º and bake 40 more minutes.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Perfect Pancakes for Two

1 c. TJ's Buttermilk pancake mix
2/3 c. water
2 eggs
4-6 oz. yogurt

beat it up, pour it in puddles on the griddle, and flip!

top with stewed berries:
berries
real maple syrup
butter

stew them in a baby skillet until the berry juice thickens as desired.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Oyster Mushroom Linguine

~1/3 c. olive oil
~1/2 c. heavy cream
~1/3 c. grated parmesean
sea salt
pepper and/ or crushed red pepper
fresh chopped parsley
1 c. chopped shallots
3 cloves crushed garlic
2-3 c. oyster mushrooms
1 spicy sausage (optional)
linguine

Put olive oil, shallots, garlic, crumbled/ cut sausage, salt and pepper to taste in a saucepan and sautee on medium heat until shallots are translucent and sausage is cooked. Add mushrooms and cook while stirring for just a minute or two, then add cream, parsley, and cheese to taste. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until desired consistency is reached. Add to cooked linguine.