Cornish Pasties

got this recipe from my friend Amy.  i've haven't made these before!  any guinea pigs?

Cornish Pasties
courtesy Robert Irvine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
1 medium onion, peeled and diced small
2 medium new and red potatoes, peeled and diced small
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

4 turnips, peeled and diced small (my addition)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 sheets puff pastry dough (often sold in 17 or 18-ounce packages containing 2 (9 or 10-inch square sheets puff pastry)
3 eggs, beaten, for egg wash

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet and saute the carrots, turnips, onion, potatoes, and garlic until al dente. Add ground beef and brown. Drain fat from pan and season with salt and pepper and jerk seasoning. Stir in tomato paste to bind mixture, and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out puff pastry dough and, using a circle cutter, cut out 16 to 24 (3-inch) diameter dough circles and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place a spoonful of meat mixture on 1 side of each pastry circle. Fold each into a half-circle and seal edges by pinching the dough together. Brush surface of pastry with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Swiss Cheese Fondue

i've finally made it!  a gift from my friend francie and we're good to go!  we made the dippers with roasted; cipollini, mushrooms, Genoa salami, red peppers, and fresh baguettes.

Ingredients:

    8 oz imported Jalsberg, shredded
    12 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
    4 tablespoons cornstarch
    1 garlic clove, peeled
    1 1/2 dry white wine
    1 tablespoon cherry brandy, such as kirsch
    1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

    Assorted dippers

Directions

In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard

.

Over medium heat, add the wine and and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, and mustard.

Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods around fondue pot.

Creamy Artichoke Soup and Baguettes

we were looking though the "Sunday Soup" cookbook on this Sunday morning.  it's very simply to prepare and what a better way to prepare this by making baguettes!
By Betty Rosbottom.

• 2 lbs. artichoke hearts
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cup chopped leeks, white and light green only
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Saute the artichokes with the butter, leeks, and salt and pepper.  then add the chicken broth after 20 min.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

with a hand blender, puree the soup.  pour in the heavy cream.  continue to simmer for 15 min. Ladle soup into 6 bowls.

Chicken Saltimbocca

this is my first time preparing anything saltimbocca! the dish was easy and tasty.  Remember, the prosciutto is salty so this really doesn't require salt.  (Saltimbocca means "jump into the mouth")

Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

    4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves,
      each about 6 oz., lightly pounded to an even
      thickness

    Salt (if you require it) and freshly ground pepper, to taste

    1/3 cup all-purpose flour
   
    2 Tbs. unsalted butter

    1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

    2 tsp. chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. dried sage,
      plus 4 sage leaves for garnish (optional)

    2 large slices prosciutto, not paper-thin,
      trimmed to fit chicken breasts

    1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced and
      trimmed to fit chicken breasts

    3/4 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or
      Sauvignon Blanc

Directions:

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and dredge each breast, coating evenly and shaking off the excess. Set aside.

In a large fry pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter with the olive oil until very hot. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the undersides are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over and continue to cook until they feel firm when pressed in the centers, 4 to 6 minutes more.

Reduce the heat to very low. Sprinkle the breasts evenly with the chopped or dried sage. Top each breast with a piece of prosciutto, then divide the cheese slices evenly among the breasts. Cover the pan tightly and cook until the cheese is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and tent with aluminum foil, being careful not to allow the foil to touch the cheese.

Increase the heat to high. When the pan is sizzling, add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits stuck on the pan bottom. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter.

Spoon an equal amount of the sauce over each breast, then garnish with a sage leaf. Serve immediately.

Homemade French Baguettes

I made these for the pending new year's party.  they were SO simple!

For 4 smaller or 2 large baguette:

1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used 1 tsp)

1 1/2 cups water (325 grams)

1 3/4 tsp salt

18 oz by weight bread flour (500 grams), about 4 cups

- Mix dough and let rise 12-14 hours or until doubled

- Punch down and shape loaves, let rise covered with floured plastic 1 to 1 1/2 hr or until almost doubled

- Bake at 550 F. about 15 minutes or until well-browned

- Spray with water before baking, at 5 minutes, and at 10 minutes during cooking time

Orzo with, Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes and Artichokes

i thought i'd try something different tonight.

Ingredients:

5 oz. Orzo
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp olive oil, plus drizzling for the top
1 cup artichoke hearts
3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
grilled chicken, diced
salt and black pepper to taste
asiago cheese

1. In a large pot, sweat onions with garlic and olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add artichokes, saute for three minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes.
4. stir in the diced chicken.
5. salt and pepper.
6. mix in the asiago cheese.

serve hot. 

Croquettes de Fromage

Jackie and i went to lunch on Thursday to BXL Zoute.  we has this as an appetizer.  it was "off the hook " delicious.  i approached the manager and asked for the recipe.  she actually gave the the recipe, hand written!  she told me under no circumstances, "i don't want to see those "balls" in midtown." we both laughed together.  so i will not share the measurements of this recipe with you all but i'll certainly provide you with the ingredients.

Whole milk
Roux
Chicken stock
Emmental cheese
salt
egg and flour
canola oil

make the roux.  add the milk, cheese, and chicken stock.  mix really good with a whisk.  cool in the refrigerator.  make individual balls, about the size of ping pong balls and deep fry in canola oil.

http://bxlrestaurants.com/bxl-zoute.html

i urge you to go to this restaurant.