Strawberry Ebelskivers

I retrieve my ebelskiver pan after an age. The thought of warm rounds of batter, filled with strawberry jam, is downright enticing. How can you go wrong with a batter of flour, milk. sugar, eggs and melted butter? Then take each dumpling and fill it with a little jam to take it over the top? You need that special contraption called an ebelskiver pan. Buy it here. Use the same pan to make takoyaki or appe.....or keep it just for ebelskivers.

These small bites are guaranteed to please everyone!

STRAWBERRY EBELSKIVERS

Serves 4-6

2 cups all purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

4 large Eggs, separated

2 cups Milk

4 + 2 tablespoons Butter, melted

Strawberry Jam

Confectioners Sugar

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl whisk egg yolks, milk and 4 tbsps melted butter.

Fold yolk mix into flour. The batter will be lumpy.

Beat egg whites till stiff but not dry.

Fold half of them into batter.

Then add the rest folding them in gently.

Heat an ebelskiver pan over medium heat.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of melted butter into each well.

Pour a tablespoon of batter into each well.

Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each well.

Top with another tablespoon of batter.

Let ebelskivers cook for 3-4 minutes, then use chopsticks or a skewer to flip them over in the wells. They will puff up as they cook.

Let underside cook for 2-3 minutes, them remove onto a plate. 

Finish the batter in the same fashion.

Dust ebelskivers generously with confectioners sugar.

Eat them hot or warm.

My husband and I ate these scrumptious bites, walking through the streets of Amsterdam years ago. That joyful memory comes to life again!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Hot Honey

Roasted butternut squash is a no-brainer. Thin slices transform into gold. Deep flavors develop as it roasts.  As the squash roasts, honey bubbles in a saucepan. A heap of coarse Turkish chile powder swirls in with the hot honey. Thank you Aisha for the chile powder! Roasted squash is coated with this potent combination. Parsley sprigs and parmesan shavings lend piquancy. Sweet, salty, spicy... three unique tastes in one transformative mouthful!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH HOT HONEY

GF,VN,EF,V

Serves 4

1 Butternut Squash

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ground Black Pepper

4 tablespoons Honey

2 teaspoons coarse Chile Powder or Flakes

Parsley leaves

Parmesan or Pecorino cheese shavings

Heat oven to 375F/190C.

Halve squash lengthwise. 

Scoop out seeds and fibrous strings. 

Do not peel squash. The skin softens as it roasts.

Cut squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. 

Lay the slices on a sheet pan. 

Drizzle slices with olive oil. Toss well so oil coats all of them. Use more oil if needed. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Roast for 15-20 minutes. Use a spatula to move and flip slices so the other sides roast. 

Roast for another 15 minutes till slices are golden brown. Check often to see if there is excessive browning.

Remove from the oven. 

Heat honey in a nonstick saucepan. Allow honey to come to a low boil. Let honey bubble over a low flame for a few minutes. 

Then add chile powder and swirl pan to mix. 

Scrape squash slices into honey. Let hot honey coat the slices well. 

Spoon squash into a bowl. 

Garnish with parsley and parmesan shavings.

Simple ingredients make for simple pleasures, but resound with big big flavors! 

Brie Stuffed Mushrooms

My daughter in law absolutely loves mushrooms. As we celebrate her birthday, I know I must make some for her. 

Big cremini mushrooms make the best bases. Twist ot their stems. Fill the caps with brie. Drizzle the tops with crisp panko and garlic. Bake till that heavenly aroma tempts you into the kitchen.... take a bite...it will please you for sure!

BRIE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Serves 4-6

20 large Cremini or white Mushrooms

3 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted

4-5 Brie slices

1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

3 Garlic cloves, minced fine

2 tablespoons Parsley, minced fine

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Clean mushrooms well. 

Twist off the stems. Keep aside and use them in another recipe.

Heat oven to 375F/190C.

Place them cap side down on a baking sheet. 

Brush the upside down caps with melted butter.

Turn them cap side up and fill with brie.

Cut pieces of brie accordingly to fit the caps.

Add panko, minced garlic, parsley and salt to butter. Mix well. 

Top each mushroom with panko mixture. 

Bake for 25 minutes. 

Enjoy these mushrooms hot or at room temperature.

Such a simple recipe. Soft brie covered in crisp breadcrumbs with a hint of garlic. Tammie tucks in to many! As do the rest of the family. Another treasure in my recipe box.

Spring Vegetable Melange

Can you will the spring season to begin? I make believe I can by sautéing a series of green hued vegetables. The panoply of chartreuse, emerald, shamrock, sage and forest greens brings the notion of spring to life. The grassy flavors are harbingers of that season. This bowl of verdant green is just that.

SPRING VEGETABLE MELANGE

Serves 4

1 large Leek

1 lb Asparagus

1 lb Fava Beans, fresh or frozen(I used frozen ones)

1 cup Peas, fresh or frozen(I used frozen ones)

10 Mint Leaves

10 Basil Leaves

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Garlic clove

1/2 cup Chicken Broth

1/2 Kosher Salt 

Ground Black Pepper

Cut the green part off the leek. Trim root end and slice the leek in half lengthwise.  Wash the leek well to remove all sandy grit. 

Slice the leek into thin half moons. 

Heat a saucepan of water. Drop the favas into water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain favas and soak in cold water for 15 minutes. peel off the tough outer skin and keep the soft beans in a bowl.

Trim tough ends of asparagus. Cut them on a bias into 2" pieces.

Peel and chop garlic finely. 

Heat olive oil in a wide saucepan. 

Drop garlic into oil and allow the garlic to bloom for 30 seconds. 

Add sliced leeks to oil and saute till translucent.

Tip asparagus into the pan and saute for a minutes. 

Add chicken stock to pan and simmer till asparagus is cooked. It should be a few minutes. 

Add fava beans and peas to the pan.

Season with salt and pepper. 

Simmer till peas are cooked.

Chop mint and basil.  Add to the vegetables. 

Toss well and serve hot.

Every forkful is a promise of spring. Every bite is an invitation for winter to

disappear. I dearly hope we shall see the last of it soon.

Two Onion Omelet Roll

 

In the midst of clearing a foot of snow, my husband voices a craving for  masala omelet and filter coffee! This is a man who rarely asks for any type of food, so I am compelled to rustle up these requests. 

Filter coffee is easy enough with Mysore Concerns coffee. The rolled omelet is a little different with chopped onions as well as store bought crisp fried ones. Eggs are whisked well. Finely chopped onions, green chiles, tomatoes and cilantro are mixed into eggs and poured into a saucepan. A line of birista or crisp fried onions is laid across the middle of the eggs. The omelet easily rolls into a fat cylinder. Breakfast is served!

TWO ONION OMELET ROLL

Serves 2

4 Eggs

1 small Onion

1 green Chile

1 small Tomato

fresh Cilantro

Kosher Salt 

Ground Black Pepper

Canola Oil

Birista or crisp Fried Onions

Toast

Whisk two eggs in a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper. 

Chop onion and tomato finely. 

Mince green chile and cilantro and mix with onions and tomatoes. Season lightly with salt. 

Drizzle a little oil in a 8" nonstick saucepan.

Add 2 tablespoons of the onion mix into eggs. 

Pour the eggs into hot pan, shaking the pan so eggs are well distributed in a thinnish layer. 

Cook over low heat till eggs are set. 

Spoon a generous line of birista in the middle of the eggs. 

Roll the eggs gently and plate the omelet. 

Repeat with the other 2 eggs.

Serve with toast. 

It gives me much joy making this for a man who doesn't ask for much. 

Chapatti Mish Mash

I call it mish mash for want of a better name! Call it what you may, this amalgam of stale rotis, spicy chilies and tart yogurt, is what my soul craves since it is brrrr cold. Something hot. Something familiar.  So essentially, this hodge-podge is my walk back to carefree days of youth, masquerading as a warm hug, transporting me to a bygone era. 

I find a bunch of stale homemade chapatis in the freezer. A real find, especially since we almost never have leftover ones. An old acquaintance passed on this gem. A Jain, she made this concoction without onions, but I find that onions add another layer of flavor. Whisked yogurt is poured over onions, chiles, curry leaves and pieces of stale chapattis. Cooked over a slow fire, the chapattis become soft, melty and full of umami. Here I go... a forkful of mushy memories making me oh so happy!

CHAPATTI MISH MASH

Serves 3-4

5-6 stale Chapattis or Rotis

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1/4 teaspoon Asafetida or Hing

1/2teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 Onion

3-4 Green Chiles

6-8 Curry Leaves

3/4 cup Yogurt

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Fresh Cilantro

Break the chapattis into small pieces.

Peel and chop the onion into small pieces.

Mince chiles finely.

Cut the curry leaves into small slivers.

Whisk yogurt well. Add enough water to make 2 cups of yogurt. 

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

Add hing to hot oil. 

Drop mustard seeds, curry leaves and chiles into hot oil. Saute for 20 seconds. 

Then drop chopped onion into oil. 

Saute till tinged with color. 

Tip chapatti into saucepan and stir. 

Pour yogurt over chapattis. 

Season with salt. 

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes till chapattis are soft. 

Garnish with cilantro and eat it hot. 

The joy of discovering an age old favorite never fails to please......I am Punch today!

Rice Rolls in Teriyaki Sauce

Let me start by telling you I almost never made this. My Pinterest pin looked and read like a dream. Smooth cylinders of rice flour, swimming in savory spices made my mouth water. I would look at it ever so often until I went out and bought some potato starch.

Then I started making the rolls. The batter is easy enough. Steaming the pancakes is a complicated mess! The pancake steams, then has to be cooled before you can smoothly roll it. The roll is then moved to another platter. The process is a less-than-graceful struggle. My kitchen counters are filled with saucepans and towels... so I warn you making these rice rolls is one daunting affair. If you should be brave and venture forward with the rolls, plan on spending a hour making them. Lisa Lin's simplified recipe can be mastered! I am proof of that! Determination and desire are certainly motivating factors!

RICE ROLLS IN TERIYAKI SAUCE

From Lisa Lin

Serves 4-6

1 cup Rice Flour(not glutinous)

1/2 cup Potato Starch

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups room temperature Water

2 cups hot Water

1 tablespoon Canola Oil plus more for brushing plates

Roasted Sesame Seeds

Scallions, thinly sliced

Cilantro leaves

TERIYAKI SAUCE

1/2 cup low sodium Soy Sauce

6 tablespoons Mirin

6 tablespoons Water

3 tablespoons Sugar

2-3 Garlic cloves, minced fine

1 teaspoon minced Ginger

Pinch of Chili flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Start by making the rice rolls first.  Put rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, cornflour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. 

Pour 2 cups room temperature water in a little at a time till batter is smooth. 

Add hot water a little at a time whisking as you add water. You will have a really watery batter. 

Place one large saucepan half filled with water over a high flame. Place a small heatproof bowl in the pan so a plate can rest on it. 

Fill another saucepan with cold water and a small bowl in the center so a plate can rest on it.

Brush two corelle plates with oil. 

Place on plate in the saucepan with simmering water. 

Stir batter well. 

Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the plate. Add a little more if needed to fill in holes to make up a round pancake. 

Cover with a lid and steam pancake for 4 minutes. 

Uncover and place the plate over the saucepan with cold water.

Allow pancake to cool for 2 minutes, then with the help of a spatula, roll the pancake into a tight roll, starting at the top. 

Oil a large sheet pan liberally with canola. 

Place the roll in the sheet pan.

Oil the other plate and place over simmering water. 

Repeat the steps, stirring the batter well before each pour.

You will get about 14-15 pancakes depending on how much batter you use. 

Make the teriyaki sauce by mixing soy sauce, mirin, water, sugar, chile flakes, garlic and ginger in a saucepan. Bring the sauce to quick simmer. 

Mix cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water. Add the slurry to the sauce mixing constantly till thickened. Keep aside. 

Cut the rice rolls into 1" pieces and mix well in the sheet pan so they are coated with residual oil. 

Scrape the rolls into a nonstick skillet.

Place the skillet over a low flame.

Pour half the sauce over the rolls and saute for a few minutes. Save the rest to drizzle over the rolls later or use in another recipe. The sauce will keep refrigerated for a week.

Garnish with sesame seeds,  scallions and cilantro. 

Enjoy them warm or at room temperature.

Eating these rolls is like having dim sum at home....so much work but such a luscious reward.