Ramen Eggs

Soft custardy yolks.  Wonderful atop noodles, soup, or a salad.  

In a pot deep enough to cover eggs with at least 1 - 2 cm of water, bring water to a rolling boil.

Gently lower eggs into the boiling water and set timer for 7 minutes as soon as the first egg is in the water.  

When the timer goes off, remove pot from the stove and under the kitchen tap quickly cool down the eggs. Exchanging the water as needed.  

You can either peel, cut in half and enjoy on your ramen, salad or even a sandwich.  Or you can do a quick flavouring of the eggs.

Tea eggs are cracked and left to steep for a few days in a mixture of black tea, cinnamon sticks, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns.

I enjoy a quicker method to flavour the eggs. With still got eggs cooked how you like, let cool down in a mixture of water soy sauce, green onion, ginger, sesame seeds, a hint of sesame oil.  Either leave over night or just until cooked down and also sprinkle the marinade over the ramen.

Generally, I don't think far enough ahead to do anything other then make the soft boiled eggs and eat them right away.

Enjoy!

CBC Kelowna's Shortbread cookie recipe

This recipe is from Sandy French.  She won the best shortbread cookies in 2012.

These need to bake early in the season and left to mature for a month in air tight container stored in a cool dry place.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour 

1 ½ cups regular or gluten-free flour

1/2 lb. butter

½ cup berry sugar (not icing sugar)

Directions:

- Mix flours, then mix with sugar.  

- Cut in butter, then knead about 15 minutes, until mixture is soft and buttery (warm, strong hands really help).  

It should feel like warm, greasy pizza dough.  

Roll out onto floured surface (1/8" - ¼" thickness) and cut into shapes.  

Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until just golden brown. 

Careful — they burn easily!!

Pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-8 weeks.

"For best results, the cookies need to be kept in a sealed container in a cool place for a minimum of a month before being eaten. This allows them to mature and become soft so that they melt in your mouth and have a truly buttery flavour," French says. "I always make mine in October."

Yield: 1 - 2 dozen

Pulla

My SIL is Finnish and I got introduce to many new and interesting food.  

Pulla

Makes 3 loaves

2 cups milk, heated just to scalding and then cooled to Luke warm

1 packet traditional yeast

1/2 cup warm water, 46°c

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 rounded tsp ground cardamom

4 oz (1/2 cup) melted butter

9 cups all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten for egg wash

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cardamom

- In a pan heat until just starting to bubble and let cool to luke warm.

- In bowl bloom yeast in warm water, then add warm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of flour. Using a whisk blend until there are no lumps.

- Add melted butter and mix, add 2 more cups flour and mix until it is a silky sticky mass. 

- Then slowly add rest of flour until it makes a thick dough.

- Knead until dough is smooth.  Place in greased bowl or container and let rise 1 hour, punch down and rise until almost doubled.  

- Turn out onto a floured surface, divide into 9  12 - 16" long pieces.  Braid together 3 pieces for each loaf.  Let rise 20 minutes, covered with a tea towel.  Preheat over to 205°c/400°f

-In a small bowl mix together sugar and cardamom.

 - Egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and cardamom.

-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins.

My sourdough started is now going strong so it is time to try new things. 

Note: I find this recipe a bit sweet so next time I will be modifying it more.

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

Originally from Little Spoon Farm

Crumble topping

45g butter, melted

100g sugar

60g flour

Dry ingredients 

240g flour

200g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp corn starch

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup blueberries

Wet ingredients 

113g butter, melted

2 eggs

125g unfed or discard sourdough starter 

45 g plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

- preheat oven to 180° and grease a 12 muffin tin.  I like to chill it then brush in melted butter for a nice thick coating.

- In a small bowl melt butter and add in sugar and flour, mix to combine and set aside

- In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients.

- In another bowl, melt butter in the microwave and whisk in all the other wet ingredients.

- Mix the wet into the dry until just combined.

- Fill muffin tin evenly and then top muffins using the crumble mix.

- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let sit 5 minutes then remove from pan to cool.

Crumble variations:

45 g butter, melted

75g sugar

60g flour

25g quick oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sourdough Waffles

Pandemic had made hobbies a thing.  I got back into baking and sourdough.  I don't do it as much as I did in the early days of my kids being home and eating all the things, but I just got my starter up to snuff and this is one of my regular recipes that helps use up extra sourdough starter.

Sourdough Waffles modified from the New York Times.

Start the night before.

240g unfed sourdough starter

120g flour

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 cup milk

- Combine all in a bowl (with a lid if you have it)  leave on counter overnight.

The morning you'll eat these beauts

To the sourdough mix add

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 oz melted butter

1 egg beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- While you waffle iron preheat, melt butter then whisk in egg to combine.  Sprinkle salt and baking soda into sourdough them top with butter egg mix and vanilla extract.  Stir until combined and slightly puffed up.  Cook in waffle to desired done-ness.  Them eat.

Risotto for My Family

I'll give you the basic recipe for our family and some variations I make to change it up.

Basic Risotto

2-3 tbsp butter (personal choice add up to 4 tbsp if you'd like)

1 finely diced onion

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp arborio rice

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp vermouth

6 1/2+ cups chicken broth, warming in a pot.

1 1/4 cups parmesan 

2 tbsp butter (this is to finish the risotto)

- In a large wide pan over medium, melt butter.

- Saute onions until translucent then add rice for a bit to do some sort of culinary magic. 

- Once the grains start to be more translucent as well, add in vermouth.  Stir until mostly absorbed. Stirring the while time.

- Add the broth in about 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for it to absorb into rice before adding more, don't let it get to too dry you just don't want to get rice swimming.   Just keep stirring.

- After adding in the 6 1/2 cups you might need a bit more of the rice isn't as tender as you want it.  Add and cook until rice is at the right done-ness.

- Turn off heat, stir in parmesan, pepper and butter, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Variations

Thanksgiving leftovers: fry fresh sage in the butter at the beginning, remove and keep for decorating the top. Add diced turkey, dried cranberries near the end of cooking to warm them up.

Chicken and squash: add diced cooked chicken and diced cooked butternut squash to almost completely cooked risotto.  You can also add fried sage to that.

Chicken and rosemary: add a sprig of rosemary to the broth and add diced chicken.

Mushroom: saute up some mushroom and rosemary in butter and or bacon fat, set aside.  Make the risotto with veggie stock.  Add mushrooms on top and sprinkle with bacon if you have it 

Instant Pot Cheesecake

Valentine's Day and since we don't really buy anything for it since what's the point of inflated prices and cheap chocolate.  I decided to make My Mum's Brownies and a cheesecake.  So here goes.

In a 7 inch Daddio lose bottom pan. Line the bottom on parchment.

Have all ingredients as room temp as you can possibly get.  For me that is maybe remembering to removed the cream cheese from the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before construction.

Crust

-Preheat oven to 350°

1/2 box of ginger cookies, broken up finely.  Or use Graham cracker crumbs.

1/4 cup of melted butter

Mix together.  Then put it in the pan, pushing down and you the sides if you'd like. It isn't fussy, just compress it a bit.  Them bake 10minites to firm up.

Filling

-in a food processor or blender or in a bowl with a spoon mix together, until smooth:

- 2 blocks reduced fat cream cheese (for all that is holy, do not use fat free cream cheese, that isn't cream cheese)

- 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

- 1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- zest of 1 lemon

-1 tbsp lemon juice

- 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Pour cheese mixture into crust and wrap tightly in 2 layers of tin foil.  Tie a sting around it or use silicone bands to make a handle so make it easier to removed from the Instant Pot 

In you instant Pot add 1 1/2 cup water and the rack. Place the cheese cake into the Instant Pot, put on the lid and turn the vent to sealing.  Put it on High pressure for 37 minutes.  Once it has come up to temp and counted down the 37 minutes leave it there on "keep warm" for at least 25 minutes.  Then you can remove it from the Instant Pot and place it on the counter for at least 3 hours before choosing it overnight.

Then enjoy this super creamy, slightly lemony, cheesecake.

Sheet Pan Ratatouille

Sheet Pan Ratatouille is a great side for chicken or golden halloumi and garlic bread.

This serves 2, double for 4 servings

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 zucchini, cut into ½" medallions.

1 medium red onion, cut into 1 inch chunks

Bunch thyme, approximately 4 tsp of leaves stripped off the stem.

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp honey

4 cloves garlic, peeled whole

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

2 chicken breasts -or- 200g halloumi

- Preheat oven to 450°

- Line a sheet Pan with parchment.  

- Toss the peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, thyme and garlic with 1 tbsp or less of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put in the middle oven rack, stirring halfway through cooking. 14-16 minutes.  Until the tomatoes burst.

- Cook protein of your choice. *CHICKEN* season with salt and pepper, brown in oiled pan 2 - 3 minutes a side and then add to the sheet pan.  *HALLOUMI* cut into 4 pieces, rince halloumi and dry with paper towel.  Heat a non stick pan over medium and dry fry until golden, 2 - 3 minutes a side.

- In a bowl, add 1 tbsp olive oil, honey, and white wine vinegar, mash the roasted garlic add salt and pepper.  Toss the roast veggies in the dressing.  Serve with the protein.

- Enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup

It is soup season.  This soup came around from finding some huge leeks at a market.

Leek and Potato Soup

2 large leeks or 4 regular leeks

6 russet potato or any other starchy potato

1 tbsp+ chicken better than bouillon

Enough water to cover potatoes

6 rashers bacon

1 to 2 tbsp butter

1 cup grated gouda

Salt and pepper

- Remove dark green leek top and slice lengthwise.  Since the leek and shake off the water.  Cut each half lengthwise again and then slice across the leek.

- Peel potatoes and chop into small cubes. Set aside.

- Cut the bacon rashers into small pieces.  Place in a heavy bottom pot and render the fat out and the pieces are lightly golden. Remove bacon from pan. 

- Add 1 to 2 tbsp of butter to pot and all the sliced up leeks.  Sweat the leeks moving around until they are all started to cook.  Cover for 2 to 4 minutes until the leeks are nice and tender.  Add better than bouillon.

- Add potatoes and enough water until all the potatoes are covered.  Cook until potatoes are soft and mashable.

-Mash potatoes, add cheese and salt and pepper to taste 

- Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Sage Ravioli

Buternut Squash Sage Ravioli

500g butternut squash ravioli fresh pasta

400g butternut squash, cubed

120 g onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely grated.

1 cup sour cream

50g goat cheese

1/4 cup sage, finely chopped not packed

3 tbsp chives, chopped

50g pepitas

2 tsp better then bouillon, chicken or veggie

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

-Preheat oven to 425° and put a 10 cups of water on to boil, adding 2+ tap of salt to the water.

- Cube butternut squash and place on baking tray, toss in olive oil, 1 tbsp sage, salt and pepper.  Bake for 22-24 minutes or until squash gets golden around the edges.

- In a small bowl combine goat cheese and half of the chives, set aside.

- Add ravioli to the boiling water and cook according to the package.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

- In a non stick pan, toast pepitas and set aside.  Be careful not to burn.

- in the same pan add butter, remaining sage and onions and sweat 2 to 3 minutes, add garlic and cook another 1 minute.

-Add broth concentrate, cooking another 2 minutes then remove from heat and mix in the sour cream (it helps if you let the sour cream warm up a bit before adding.). Season with salt and pepper

-Add pasta and cooked squash to the sauce, then pour into a large serving bowl.  Top with goat cheese and chives, sprinkle pepitas on top or serve on the side.