Springerle Cookie Mix (from Germany)
Ingredients & Directions 4 c All-purpose flour 4 3/4 c Powdered sugar; sifted 1 ts Baking soda 20 Anise oil; drops 4 Eggs 1 1/2 ts Aniseed; crushed Sift together flour and soda. In large mixer bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer until light. Gradually beat in powdered sugar; continue beating on high speed about 15 minutes or until mixture resembles soft meringue. Stir in anise oil. Add about 3/4 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. By hand, stir in the remaining flour mixture. Cover; let stand about 15 minutes. Divide dough into thirds. On lightly floured surface, roll each portion into 8″ square. Let stand for 1 minute. Dust a springerle (little horse) mold or rolling pin with additional flour. Press mold on dough hard enough to make a clear design; repeat for the remaining dough (Roll springerle rolling pin on dough, pressing hard enough to make a clear design.) With a sharp knife, cut the rolled cookies apart. Place on a lightly floured surface; Cover with a towel and let stand about 6 hours or overnight. Sprinkle a greased cookie sheet with crushed aniseed. Brush excess flour from cookies. With finger, rub bottom of each cookie lightly with cold water. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake in 300 degree oven about 18 minutes or until a light straw color. Remove to wire rack; cool. Yields 72 servings
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients & Directions 2 qt Chicken broth 2 lb Boneless; skinless chicken -breasts 1 md Zucchini; halved lengthwise -and cut into 1/4-inch thick -pieces 2 md Carrots; cut into 1/4-inch -slices 1/2 c Fresh peas 1/4 lb Mushrooms; quartered 1 Onion; chopped 6 tb Unsalted butter 6 tb Flour 1 tb Freshly chopped thyme 1 tb Freshly chopped tarragon 1/4 ts Freshly grated nutmeg 1 Sheet puff pastry 1 Egg; beaten slightly for -glaze In a large sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered for 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and let cool. When cooled, cut chicken into cubes and put in a bowl. Return the pan with the stock to the stove and bring back to a simmer. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the peas and cook another minute. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and add to the chicken. In another sauce pan, cook the onion in the butter over moderately low heat, until softened. Add the flour and cook the roux, stirring for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the reserved hot broth in a stream, whisking constantly. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and bring to room temperature. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a 10-inch round. When the filling is cooled, gently place the pastry over the top of the dish and press the edges to the rim to seal. Cut three vents near the center to release the steam while cooking. To freeze the dish, wrap tightly with aluminum foil and label. To cook from the freezer, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush with egg glaze and bake 45 minutes, or until top is golden and filling is bubbling. Yield: 4 servings Yields 1 Servings
Eggplant Torte La Provenal
Ingredients & Directions 2 md Eggplants cut into 1/2″ — rounds 2 ts Salt 2 md Potatoes, sliced 2 md Tomatoes, sliced 1 md Red onion, sliced 1/4 ts Pepper Thyme sprigs (opt) 3/4 c Basil leaves, torn -SEASONED OIL- 1/3 c Olive oil 1 Garlic clove(s), chopped 1 ts Thyme, chopped or 1/3 ts Dried thyme 1. Sprinkle the eggplant slice with 1 tsp salt and set aside for 1 hour. Rinse and pat the eggplant slice dry with paper towels. 2. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, garlic and thyme to make the seasoned oil. 3. Preheat the oven to 350F. 4. Place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. While the skillet is heating, brush the eggplant slices with the seasoned oil. Saut the eggplant over high heat until it is crusty and dark, 2-3 minutes each side. Saut as many slices as comfortably fit in the pan, then repeat the process. Do not crowd the skillet. Turn the heat down if the eggplant is browning too quickly. 5. Lightly oil an ovenproof baking pan. Overlap the eggplant, potato, tomato, and onion slices, leaving -inch of each uncovered. Repeat the layers until all the vegetable slices have been used. 6. Add the remaining 1 tsp salt and the pepper to the remaining seasoned oil and brush the vegetables with this mixture. Place the thyme and basil in between the layered vegetables. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Serve hot or at room temperature. Can be refrigerated for 1 day. REheat before serving. “The Occasional Vegetarian” by Karen Lee. Yields 6 servings
Grit Cakes
Ingredients & Directions 4 c Water 1/2 ts Salt 1 c Grits 4 tb Butter 1/4 lb Sharp cheddar cheese Cayenne pepper 1 Egg, beaten Coating Flour 2 Beaten eggs Bread crumbs Finishing: Butter or olive oil for Sauteing Boil water and add salt. Slowly stir in grits. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and add butter, cheese, cayenne and beaten egg. Set aside to cool slightly, then refrigerate. When the mixture is cold, form into patties about 4-inches across and 1inch thick. Place flour on a wide plate, eggs in another plate and crumbs in another plate. Dip patties first into flour, then into eggs, then cover with bread crumbs. Chill 30 minutes or up to overnight. Heat butter or olive oil in a saucepan and saute grit cakes until golden brown on both sides. Yield: 6 grit cakes CHEF DU JOUR KATHY CARY/DREW NIEPORENT SHOW #DJ9433 Yields 4 servings
Whole-grain Cocoa Angel Food Cake
Ingredients & Directions 3/4 c Flour; Whole Wheat Pastry 1/4 c Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 1 1/4 c Sugar 10 Egg Whites 1 ts Cream Of Tartar 1 ts Vanilla Extract 1/2 ts Lemon Extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the flour, cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a sifter, sift into a medium bowl. Repeat the sifting 5 times. Set aside. Sift the remaining 1 cup of sugar into a seperate bowl. Set aside. Place the eggwhites in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks but are not dry. Fold in the 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla and lenon extract. Slowly sift small amounts of the flour mixture over the batter and fold it in until all flour is incorporated. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10″ straight-sided tube pan. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn upside down to cool. Let stand for 11/2 hours. (Invert pan over kneck of a sturdy bottle to prevent cake from shrinking as it cools.) When the cake is fully cooled, run a knife around the edges of the pan to remove cake. NOTES : 2 points per serving Yields 12 Servings
Thai Bread
Ingredients & Directions 7/8 c Water; lukewarm 2 c White bread flour 2 tb Dry milk 2 tb Sugar 1 1/2 ts Salt 1 tb Butter 1 1/2 ts Chili paste; (Sambal Oeleck) 1 tb Lime juice 1/3 c Peanuts; unsalted, chopped 1/3 c Coconut milk 2 ts Sesame seed oil 3/4 ts Lemon zest 1 tb Cilantro; dried 2 1/2 ts Active dry yeast Add ingredients according to bread machine manufacturer’s instructions. Makes a 1.5 pound loaf. Yields 1 Servings
Multigrain Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/2 c Multigrain Pancake Mix; (see -recipe) 1 Egg 1 tb Canola oil 1 1/4 c Buttermilk; (to 1 1/2 cups) Place mix in a large bowl. Beat egg lightly with the oil in a small bowl. Add egg mixture and enough buttermilk to the mix to make a creamy batter. Cook pancakes on a lightly oiled nonstick griddle or skillet, turning when bubbles appear on the surface. VARIATIONS: Use skim milk instead of buttermilk. For vegan pancakes, omit egg and milk and use 2 tbsp. of oil and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups apple juice, soy milk, or other liquid. Yields 4 servings
