Super Bowl Eats: Croissant Pizzas

It's always fun to post something not usually on our menu and definitely off any diet plan, but when the Super Bowl is on, calorie-watching goes out the window. Pizza lovers will love these and you can throw them together in no time at all.
One day can't hurt, right? Hello out there? RIGHT?

Croissant Pizza
From Thrillist

Ingredients:
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (you'll use both slabs)
1/3 cup pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:
Thaw the frozen puff pastry overnight in the fridge. 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Unwrap and lay the dough out on parchment paper. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut one panel off each slab (they are folded in thirds, so just cut along one fold). Stick those two loose panels side by side and pinch them together. You should now have three slabs of dough. 
Slice each slab of dough in half crosswise so you have 6 squares. Spread 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce in a diagonal line across each square. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese  Top with three slices of pepperoni, and a bit more cheese for good measure. Fold the un-sauced corners in over the filling. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan and oregano.
Makes 6. 
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until croissants are puffed and golden brown.

Lentil Stuffed Samosas

You could make these for lunch, for dinner or perhaps a football-watching snack. Use your favorite dal type stuffing (or any stuffing at all) and have fun wrapping! I'm not a wrapping pro but these held together nicely. I practiced with paper towels. I wish my egg roll wrappers had been a bit longer, but these were all I could find at the market. They were 6 1/2 inches square. I seemed to have the best luck cutting them in two inch wide rectangular strips, giving me 2 by 6 1/2 inches to work with. 
The dal is a combination of recipes and I had brown lentils in the pantry, so that's what I used.

Lentil Stuffed Samosas

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup spring onions, chopped along with the greens
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon Indian red chili powder
1 serrano chili or whatever your heat preference
Salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying

For the wrappers:
spring roll wrapper sheets (mine were 6 1/2 inches square which I cut into 2 inch rectangles)

For the glue to hold them together:
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons water

Method:
Rinse the lentils well and then boil them in water until they are cooked through but still retain the shape. About 10-15 minutes. Pour the lentils in a sieve to drain and cool.

Mix all the ingredients in the filling with a light hand so as to not break the lentils, put aside. Mix the wheat flour with the water. Set aside, this is the "glue".
Cut the spring roll wrappers into 2-3 inch wide rectangles. Cover unused wrappers with a damp cloth while working with it so it doesn't dry out. 
Rather than try to explain how to fold samosas, I suggest you watch the following uTube vid.




Fill about 2 tbsp of filling into the triangle and pressing it down with your finger. once folded, brush the flour and water glue on the end of the pastry and fold over the top of the filled triangle to seal. 
It’s important that the samosa is completely sealed so oil doesn't seep into the filling while frying. If you see any openings close it with the glue mixture. Heat oil in a wok and drop the triangles in it. They are done when light golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges or ketchup. They freeze extremely well. So you can make in bulk and keep it in deep freezer and fry them in oil right out of the freezer.

Makes 10 or more.

Super Bowl Food: Pizza Pinwheels

What a great recipe! Leave it to Lori, most of her recipes are winners. I didn't change a thing; when I visit her I always come away with something awesome.
Your family is going to love this one, from the yogurt-based pizza dough to the pesto in the pinwheel. So many layers of flavor and if you dip them into some of your favorite pizza or marinara sauce, you've got one mouth-watering Super Bowl snack.

Pizza Pinwheels
From Lori at Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
2/3 cup Fage Greek Yogurt (this is important, you need the thick yogurt)
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
3/4 cup chopped pepperoni
3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or mixed mozzarella & Parmesan), divided
pizza or smooth marinara sauce, warmed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the yogurt and continue to stir and mix until the ingredients (Use your hands!) are well-combined and forms a dough.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it a bit so the dough comes completely together. You may need to add more flour, but I found this amount to be just right. You want a non-sticky dough. Roll it out into a rectangle about 9x14-inches.

Spoon the pesto onto the rolled out dough and spread it evenly. Then sprinkle the chopped pepperoni and top with the cheese. 

Carefully roll up the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut about 1/2-inch slices. You have to hold the sliced roll together while you transfer it to the prepared baking sheet and then shape them a little more into a round. Repeat with the remaining slices.
Bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Serve warm with sauce.

Super Bowl Food: Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Have you got some football fans gathering in your family room to watch the playoffs? Here's an easy peasy snack to serve and it wouldn't surprise me if you had all the ingredients in your house already! Mini mouthful muffins pretending to be corn dogs. Loved the idea when I saw it and here they are, just pop one in your mouth. The plateful won't last long, so make plenty.

Mini Corn Dog Muffins
From Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter 
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8-10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into little bites

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
Combine butter and sugar in a bowl, whisk. Add eggs and whisk again. Add buttermilk and whisk once more. 
In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt. Beat the flour combination into the wet ingredients in two batches. 
Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup. 
Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. 
Serve with chili sauce or ketchup.

Jamie Oliver's Welch Rarebit with Chili Pepper Chutney

I thought I'd interject this in the middle of all my apple and pumpkin recipes. After all, we do need to eat something for lunch and supper! I seem to be over-laden with dessert-type recipes this fall. I'll try to do better after Christmas.
Every generation has a recipe for Welsh Rarebit; my mother did and I made it for my kids too...the whole trick is using a really fine cheddar. My favorite was made with cheddar, flour, butter, dry mustard, dark beer, Worcestershire and cayenne. And we always ate our rarebit with my great Aunt Irene's homemade chili sauce. OMG, it was divine. I have her recipe, but never have made it. It was an all day event. She used to have two women friends in to share the work and they'd make a HUGE amount and split the results. Totally impressive assembly line.

Anyway, The Two Fat Ladies made a rarebit on one of their shows (makes sense, as it's a traditional British dish) and I remember the egg addition and how it puffed up a bit, but if you've seen their shows, you know their recipes are always a little vague. And I never bought their cookbooks.

Then I saw Jamie Oliver make his rarebit with spicy chutney; it puffed up too and I thought it looked fabulous. I'll include lots of his directions. He's fun, isn't he? Frankly, I think it's one of the best football, late night or New Year's Eve snacks I know. You could use your own chili sauce, but this one was perfect and well worth the effort.

Welsh Rarebit
From Jamie at Home

Ingredients:

3 slices sourdough bread, 1-inch thick 

5 1/2 ounces creme fraiche or 5 1/2 ounces sour cream, by weight 

2 egg yolks 

1 cup shredded Cheddar, Double Gloucester or other English cheese 

1 pinch ground black pepper 

1 pinch kosher salt 

1 teaspoon mustard powder 

3 teaspoons chili pepper jam 

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

Method:

Toast both sides of bread under broiler until lightly browned. 

Stir together remaining ingredients except chili pepper jam and Worcestershire sauce. 

Spread 1 tablespoon, or to taste, chili jam (recipe follows) on each slice of bread. Divide cheese mixture evenly between slices and spread to edges. Return to broiler until top is brown and bubbly, 2-3 minutes. 

Crisscross the top of each slice with the edge of a knife, just to cut through the crispy cheese. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and serve.

Jamie's Cheeky Chili Pepper Chutney
From Jamie at Home

Ingredients:

8-10 fresh red chillies

8 ripe red peppers

olive oil

2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped

a sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

2 fresh bay leaves

a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

100g brown sugar

150ml balsamic vinegar

Method:

If you want your chutney to last for a while, make sure you have some small sterilized jars ready to go. 

Place your chillies and peppers over a hot barbecue, in a griddle pan or on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened and blistered all over. Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl (the smaller chillies won’t take as long as the peppers so remove them first) and cover tightly with clingfilm. As they cool down, they’ll cook gently in their own steam. By the time they’re cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to peel the skin off easily. 

When you’ve got rid of most of the skin, trimmed off the stalks and scooped out the seeds, you’ll be left with a pile of nice tasty peppers and chillies. Finely chop by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.

Heat a saucepan and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or so, until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.

Add the chopped peppers and chillies, the sugar and the vinegar to the onions and keep cooking. When the liquid reduces and you’re left with a lovely thick sticky chutney, season well to taste. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Either spoon into the sterilized jars and put them in a cool dark place, or keep in the fridge and use right away. In sterilized jars, the chutney should keep for a couple of months. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Yams with Smoky-Sweet Dipping Sauce

Here's the last of my Super Bowl snacks this season. I loved this idea from Noble Pig (Cathy posts the best appetizers!) as it's a reasonably healthy appetizer. And contrary to what Cathy says in her recipe, Fry Sauce is NOT available in every grocery store. Certainly not in South Florida and I have a feeling it's something available only in the western U.S. I learned a lot about Fry Sauce this week, which I had never heard of before and three different grocery store managers (including Whole Foods) merely looked blank and kept trying to send me to oils for use in woks.

Of course I finally discovered you can order it HERE, but rather than go to these drastic measures, a reasonable facsimile is Thousand Island Dressing. Sort of....well anyway, close enough. So I made a small amount: 3 tablespoons mayo to 1 tablespoon chili sauce. I would have added some other seasonings, but there are plenty already in this dip. You could also use light mayo and light sour cream to cut back on the calories. Can you tell I like my roasted potatoes brown and crunchy? 
BTW: do you like hot? This dip is HOT!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Yams with Dipping Sauce
From Noble Pig

Ingredients:

5 medium sweet potatoes and yams, peeled and cut into 3" pieces

Olive Oil

Kosher salt & black pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 T Fry sauce (in every grocery store in the condiment aisle)

1 T fresh oregano, finely chopped

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chipotle chili powder (chipotle gives the smoky flavor)

1 tsp garlic, finely minced

1/4 tsp cayenne

Method:

Preheat oven to 450.  Place sliced potatoes into a bowl and coat with some olive oil.  Use your hands to rub the oil into each piece.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper.  Place them on baking tray that has been coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until edges are brown and potatoes are fork tender. (Baking time is really going to depend on your oven.)

While the potatoes are baking, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, Fry sauce, oregano, onion powder, chili powder, garlic, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 

Serve the potatoes on a platter with the sauce.

Chuck's Chicken Wings

Chef Chuck Hughes. Name sound familiar? I first discovered him on The Cooking Channel with a show called "Chuck's Night Off".  He's a Canadian chef, restaurateur and the chef/co-owner of Garde Manger and Le Bremner, both located in Old Montréal.
I watched him defeat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America a while back and more recently, you might remember him from The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs competition, but he was defeated in the third round. I've enjoyed watching his show from time to time and thought you'd like his wings recipe. We sure did. Don't they look sticky and divine? Just in time for the Super Bowl.

Balsamic Chicken Wings
Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes

Ingredients:

18 chicken wings 

1 cup honey 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup balsamic vinegar 

2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Lemon zest, for garnish

Method:

Remove the tips from the wings by cutting between the joints. Transfer the wings to a large resealable plastic bag. 

Combine the honey, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half the marinade into the bag with the chicken. Squeeze out most of the air and seal the bag. Shake gently to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, sear the chicken wings, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, flipping the wings often to prevent them from burning. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the remaining marinade. Continue to cook the wings on the stovetop until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken wings evenly. 

To serve, arrange the wings on a platter and garnish with lemon zest.

Michael Schwartz's Falafel Balls with Tahini Sauce

I've already introduced you to Michael in a previous post. This is the second recipe I've made from his new cookbook. (For more details about the cookbook and Michael's restaurant, go HERE.)

Today I'm all about falafel: the fish and chips of the Mediterranean, the tapas of the Middle East. If Israel has adopted a national food, falafel is it. But despite its strong connection with Israel, falafel actually originates from Egypt and was originally made from fava beans. Its roots can be traced right back to the Christian Copts of Egypt who were forbidden from eating meat during certain holidays and came up with a falafel-like alternative. Lebanese falafel often uses a combination of fava beans and chickpeas, while in Egypt, it is traditional to use just fava beans. I've only eaten falafel made with chickpeas. If you're interested in more history, I found a wonderful article about chickpeas HERE.

History aside, I've got to be absolutely the last blogger to make falafel. I've read about it, eaten it, but for some reason have never made it at home. I have several recipes saved but once I read Michael's cookbook, I decided on his rendition. And I had my share of problems (see Bench Notes) but I am nothing if not determined! And I was finally successful. They were fabulous. We loved the flavors and the crispness and when dipped in the tahini sauce they were a marvelous mouthful. Now that I have the hang of it, I'll make these again and again.

Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Adapted from Michaels' Genuine Food by Michael Schwartz

Bench Notes:

• I noticed Michael's recipe did not have any flour. Hmmmm. I'd rarely seen a falafel recipe without a little flour, bread crumbs or some sort of binder. I was doubtful, but I tried a small batch that way and they disintegrated immediately in the hot oil.  I tried again, pressing very firmly on the falafel ball, as the recipe mentions the balls must be pressed tight or they will fall apart. No dice. Raised the temperature of the oil. That didn't work either. So, as to not waste my remaining ingredients, I cheated and added a little flour and had no further problems. Please note in recipe below I included the correct amount of flour I used. Sorry, Michael, but I'm going to use a little flour when I make them from now on.
• Also: use the dried garbanzos as called for. Not canned. Just not the same.
• And...make certain the temperature of the oil remains between 350 and 375. (Michael suggested 350; I increased it to 375.) I ended up cooking only 3 or 4 falafels at a time and the temperature stayed constant that way.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried chickpeas. picked through and rinsed

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leafed parsley

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons flour (I added this)

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

canola oil for frying

Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)

Method:

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 inches. Soak overnight. They will double in size. 

Drain and rinse thoroughly. (I think you should make certain the chickpeas are very dry at this point. It may have been one of my problems. See Bench Notes. Some of you who make falafel on a regular basis might have some other suggestions.)

Put the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until the consistancy of cornmeal. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and mint to the processor along with a couple tablespoons of the chickpeas. Pulse until pureed. Add to the remaining chickpeas along with the cumin, coriander, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

You may refrigerate, covered, at this point for up to 3 days.

Heat about 3 inches of the oil to 375 in an electric fryer or deep pot.

In the meantime, make golf-sized balls with the falafel mixture, squeezing tightly so they don't fall apart while cooking. (See Bench Notes) Place a few falafels in the oil at a time, moving them around so brown evenly and don't stick. Fry until crusty brown on all sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes; remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Makes about 2 dozen falafels.

Tahini Sauce
(makes  1 cup)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
1 tablespoon soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of Kosher salt

Method:
Combine all the ingredients with 1/2 cup water in blender or processor. Process until smooth.

Get Ready.......Super Bowl Snacks II

Well, there it is. It's going to be the Packers and the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.  And here are my last two football-watching snacks; both are scrumptious, but entirely different. One is an old favorite and the other I found in Donna Hay Magazine. You'll like them both. 

Bacon pinwheels have been around forever. There are recipes using packaged croissant dough, pie pastry or puff pastry dough. Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, no cheese. Scallions or parsley or both. In fact, the only constant is bacon. I've made them all ways but if you want to make them dressy, I've found the puff pastry/bacon only version makes the prettiest presentation. 

Here's the basic recipe...it really adapts well to either puff  pastry or croissant dough. And you can stuff them with whatever takes your fancy. In these, I used bacon, scallions, 2 cheeses and croissant dough. You can even use lo-cal versions of some of the ingredients. This is such perfect football food and a snap to make. Is there anyone who doesn't love bacon? Hello out there? Anyone at all?
I didn't think so.

Bacon Pinwheels

Ingredients:

1 package of crescent roll dough 

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 

5 green onions, chopped 

1 cup grated cheddar cheese, room temperature

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Unroll the crescent rolls and seal all the edges. Flatten slightly with a rolling pin.

Mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and onions and spread evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the chopped bacon. Roll up like a jelly roll and refrigerate at least 1/2 an hour. Makes it easier to slice.

Slice in 1/4 inch slices, put on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake  12-15 minutes or until well browned.

Last but not least is a rather unusual football snack, but the group I made them for last year really liked them. Of course, they take a bit longer than some recipes because you have to cook and cool the polenta first. Do it the day before so you don't have to think about it; the rest is super simple. If you have time, make a garlic aioli...it's marvelous with these polenta sticks. I use a recipe I found in Gourmet magazine ages ago. (Which I didn't make for this photo. This is sour cream, not nearly as good.)
These crunch so nicely when you bite into them and the herbs are wonderful. You can't beat Donna Hay for recipes. Smartest thing I ever did was take a subscription.  It's worth every penny.

Enjoy the Super Bowl!



Herbed Polenta Chips
Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 51

Ingredients:

For the polenta:

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup instant polenta

1 ounce butter, chopped

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chips:

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon oregano leaves

olive oil

Method:

To make the polenta:

Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. While whisking, slowly add the polenta. Whisk until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the butter, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into a lightly greased baking pan and spread until aboutn 3/4 of an inch thick. Refrigerate until set.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the polenta  into fingers and brush with the olive oil. Mix the herbs and roll the fingers in them. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with garlic aioli (recipe follows), sour cream or mayonnaise.

Garlic Aioli
Gourmet Magazine, February 2007

Ingredients:
2 medium heads garlic, left whole
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives


Method:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. 
Cut off and discard tops of garlic heads to expose cloves, then brush each head with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Wrap heads together in foil and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm. 
Squeeze garlic from skins into a food processor and purée with mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Transfer aioli to a bowl and stir in chives. 

Super Bowl Snacks I

I thought I'd spend the next couple posts on game day snacks. I've found some gems on other blogs I've been wanting to tell you about (in case you missed them), another oldie but goodie and one I found in Donna Hay magazine. I think you'll like all of them. Let's start this week with the two I discovered on other blogs.

When you're asked to bring an appetizer to someone's house to watch the game or if you're hosting your own party, what could be better than pizza? Better yet, in mouthful size. No mess, no fuss. Easy to take on the road too. They sure aren't healthy veggie type appetizers, but this is a killer recipe and they're always a smash hit at my house. Cathy from Noble Pig posted them a while back. I tried them out on my son right after I read her post. He practically inhaled them. These will be gone in a flash so make plenty.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
From Noble Pig

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup pizza sauce

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg.  Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 Tablespoon basil.  Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 Tablespoon basil.  Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping. Makes 24 mini puffs.
                                                    

For the second Super Bowl snack, I'll turn to Wanda from The Teacher Cooks. She posted these a few weeks ago. Wowza! I like that you can choose your own sausage: hot, sweet, spicy or mixed. And you can add even more heat by using some hot sauce.


Sausage and Cheese Balls
From The Teacher Cooks

Ingredients: 
1 lb. sausage, your choice  ( allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes)

12 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

3 cups Bisquick

1/2 teaspoon red pepper or hot sauce , optional

Method: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix finely grated cheese, sausage, and 1/2 cup of the Bisquick with a wooden spoon. (I had much better luck using my hands.)  This takes patience.  As the Bisquick is worked in with the sausage and cheese, add the rest 1/2 cup at a time until it is finally all worked in.

Roll about a tablespoon or so in the palm of your hand.   

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 20 minutes. 

Makes about 3 dozen sausage and cheese balls.

Nina Simonds' Scallion Pancakes

I've been hearing about scallion pancakes for ages, have enjoyed them countless times, read a while back about them on Dorie Greenspan's blog and have always wanted to make them at home. But this is one of those recipes I kept putting off as I knew it would take an entire afternoon after reading Dorie's comment about patience.

When I think of Chinese cooking, breads don't usually come to mind. But of course, they do make breads...for one, think of steamed pork buns.....and another, these scallion pancakes. They are a unique flatbread in that they are pan-fried, but made from a dough that's kneaded and shaped rather than  poured. You don't use a wok, you use a non-stick skillet for frying. 

Beause I have a copy of A Spoonful of Ginger, I went to the original recipe and finally spent a rainy afternoon making them. If you're going to give them a try (and oh so worth it) read through the recipe carefully; it's not that they're hard, they're not. Easy as pie actually, using simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. It's just there's a lot of resting between steps and you want to allow time. And once you have your little patties, you can refrigerate or freeze them for future use.

Flaky Scallion Pancakes
From A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup or more all-purpose flour, if necessary, for kneading

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

3/4 cup minced scallion greens

3/4 cup canola or corn oil

Method:

Stir the flours and salt in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.  Add the corn oil and the boiling water, and stir until a rough dough forms.  If the dough is too soft, knead in about 1/4 cup more flour.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth, kneading in more all-purpose flour as necessary.  Cover with a cloth or wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes, or longer if possible.

On a very lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a long snakelike roll about 1 inch in diameter.  Cut the roll into 24 pieces.  Keep the unused dough covered with a damp towel as you work.

With a rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough, cut side down on the work surface, into a 5-inch circle.  Brush the top with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with some of the minced scallion greens.

Roll up the circle like a jelly roll and pinch the ends to seal.  Flatten the roll slightly with the rolling pin, and coil it into a snail shape, with the seam on the inside.  Pinch the end to secure it and set aside on a lightly floured surface.  Prepare the remaining pancakes, and let them rest for 30 minutes uncovered.

Reflour the work surface and roll each coiled pancake out to a 4-inch circle.  Place them on a lightly floured tray.  Let them rest for 30 minutes uncovered, or longer if possible.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat a large, heavy skillet, add the oil, and heat to 350 degrees F.  Put a few of the pancakes in the pan, not touching, and fry over medium heat, turning once, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove with a spatula and drain briefly in a colander, then transfer to absorbent paper.  Arrange the cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the remaining pancakes, reheating the oil between batches.  Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven.

Makes 24 pancakes.

Serve with dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil:

General Dipping Sauce for Japanese Gyoza, Scallion Pancakes (or just about anything)

Ingredients:
2 parts soy sauce

1 part rice wine vinegar

½ part sesame oil or chili sesame oil

1 part sugar (optional)

Method:

Combine ingredients and serve. 

Hot Browns and Hats (plus a giveaway winner!)

Derby Day is always such fun...whether you are a diehard racetrack aficionado or just like to people watch and peruse the extraordinary hats. I've only been once, but the excitment is something I'll never forget. Now I never miss it...even though it's only on the big screen.

Everyone knows about the mint julep, but how many of you know about Kentucky Hot Browns?

There's a hotel in Louisville called The Brown Hotel. During the 20's it would draw as many as 1,200 guests for its' dinner dance. In the wee hours of the morning, the guests would grow tired of dancing and would want a little something to eat. They were getting bored with ham and eggs, so Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique creation was an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. Enter The Hot Brown!

Now a Louisville tradition, the Hot Brown has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, NBC's Today Show, The Wall Street Journal, as well as being included in many cookbooks. So if you want to be part of a Derby tradition, here's the original recipe, right from The Brown Hotel.

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

Ingredients:  (Makes two hot browns)

2 ounces butter
2 ounces flour
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
14 ounces sliced roasted turkey breast
2-4 slices of Texas Toast (To make your own, a recipe follows)
4 slices of crisp bacon
2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced in half
Paprika, parsley, tomato for garnish


Method:

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a roux. Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk whipping cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For each Hot Brown, place one or two slices of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey.

Place the tomatos on top of turkey and toast. Next, pour the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish.

Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble and is heated through. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

I can find Texas Toast in my market.

But if you can't here's how to make your own: start with some good bread; smash a couple cloves of garlic and mix them with some butter. Spread on the bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then toast it.

And now something just for the ladies. I collected some photos of fun and fabulous Derby Day hats. Pick out your favorite! Which one would you love to wear?

Last, but not least,  The Mother's Day Giveaway: The lucky winner is: Faith from An Edible Mosaic. Congratulations! Please email me your address at bsmithw@gmail.com so I can get your cookbook in the mail ASAP!


Hat photo source: http://www.deescrafts.com/hats/