Apple Beignets

Michael likes when i make fried foods and he hates when i make fried foods. I made these once a while ago and i think we'll have them again this weekend. Now you can use almost any fruit, a hard flesh fruit works best like Apples, Pears or any stone fruit. I have used berries but do not precook the berries, just wrap them whole in the dough and fry.

Apple Beignets

Ingredients

4 large apples, pealed, cored and cut into doughnut slices, sprinkled with lemon juice
3 table spoons of unsalted butter
2 table spoons raw sugar

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
3/4 cup of pale beer
1/4 veggie oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raw sugar

Veggie oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place apple slices on a parchment lined baking sheet, dot the butter evenly over all the slices and sprinkle with sugar and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the apples just become soft but not too soft, you will need to handle them later and if they are too soft this will be very hard to do. remove from the oven and let cool.

While the apples are baking start to the dough.

Separate the eggs; in one bowl place the yolks the other whites, you will be whipping the whites so it should be the bowl from the stand mixer. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, now add the salt, oil and beer and continue whisking until smooth. Next add the flour whisk until thick and lump free.

Now start whipping up the egg whites as they start to firm up add the 2 teaspoons of raw sugar and the cream of tartar. Whip until you get slightly stiff peaks. Now fold the egg whites until the egg yolks until both have become one and are smooth.

Now its time to make the doughnuts.

Place enough oil in a deep skillet to be about 2 inches deep. Bring the oil to about 325 degrees. Now lets line up everything you will need. In a small bowl place the 3/4 cups of raw sugar and cinnamon, whisk to combine and set it next to the stove, you will also need plates with paper towels and a cookie sheet with a cooling rack on top. Also get the dough ready next to the cooled apples slices. You know the oil is hot and ready when you drop a bit of the dough in it and it puffs up.

Ok let cook, dip each of the slices into the dough, coating booth sides and place in the hot oil. Do not over crowd the skillet, i do two at a time; also do not pre-coat the apples, dip them before you fry them. The apples should stay in the oil about 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and let them rest about 1 minute on the paper towel before being rolled in the cinnamon sugar and then placed on the wire rack to cool.

Enjoy cooking

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups of crush nilla wafers
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter diced

Filling

2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large bananas, sliced
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. sugar

Directions

Crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In the food processor place the nilla wafers, flour, sugar, salt and butter and pulse to combine. Remove from processor, it will be crumbly, and press into the bottom of a pie plate, 9' one. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden and remove to cool.

Filling

You will need two metal bowls that fit over a sauce pan with boiling water or if you have a double boiler with two top pans even better.

In one bowl place the egg yolks, flour and sugar, beating until smooth, set aside. In the other bowl the milk, place over the sauce pan with the boiling water and bring to a boil. Once the milk is boiling, pour over the egg mixture in bowl, whisking constantly; now place the egg mixture bowl with the hot mixture over the sauce pan with the boiling water and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Stir in vanilla.

Fill the bottom of prebaked pie crust with sliced bananas (about 2 large bananas or enough to cover the bottom evenly). Pour the milk mixture over the bananas.

In the stand mixer place the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted from the bowl, gradually adding 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar while beating. Spread the beaten egg whites (meringue) over the top of the pie evenly to the edges of the crust.

Bake the pie in a preheated 375°F oven until the tops of the meringue peaks are golden brown. Only the meringue needs to cook, this takes about 10 minutes, but depends on your oven so watch carefully.

Sever warm or cool, i prefer cool.

Enjoy Cooking

Mango Ceviche

Here is another ceviche i make often, it is really simple

Mango Ceviche

Ingredients

4 red snapper fillets, cut into cubes
3/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, diced
1 teaspoon salt

1 mango diced
1/2 of fresh orange juice
2 table spoons of garlic vinegar
1 jalapeno diced
1/2 cup water

1/2 cup of diced jicama
1 red onion diced
1/4 cup cilantro diced stems removed
1/4 diced green onions
2 teaspoons of fresh mint diced
1 lime juiced

Directions

In a large glass bowl place the lime juice, salt and oregano and stir, next place the fish in the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside for at least an hour.

In a blender place the 1/2 the mango, orange juice, vinegar, water and jalapeno and blend until smooth. Pour sauce into another glass bowl. Now add the remain ingredients into the bowl and toss to coat. Now drain the fish from the lime juice and add to the bowl with the other ingredients and toss. Let is sit for about 20 minutes before serving. Right before serving I add the remain mango.

I plate in small bowls that i line with cilantro and garnish with long slice green onions.

Enjoy cooking

Eggplant Chili

This dish can be made with or with out the meat.

Eggplant Chili

Ingredients

4 16oz cans of kidney beans, drained
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes or 8 to 12 fresh tomatoes diced
2 to 3 eggplants chopped into 1 inch cubes - if you are using meat you need about 8 cups, without meat 12 cups
1 1/2 lbs of ground lamb
2 red onions diced
2 red peppers diced
1 cup of red wine
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup kalamata olives, halved and pitted (optional)
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 table spoons fresh oregano
2 table spoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes - to taste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a deep sauce pot over medium high heat add olive oil, onions and red peppers and saute until soft. Now if you are using meat add the ground lamb and saute until browned. Now stir in the garlic followed by the eggplant and the spices. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for about 5 minutes.

Next add the tomatoes, kidney beans and wine, stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer for an additional 50 minutes to 2 hours depending on the thickness of the chili you like.

5 minutes before serving add the optional olives: Note if using olives reduce the amount of salt at the beginning.

Serve with the a crumble of feta cheese on top. You may also add a spoon full of Greek style yogurt on top and a garnish of fresh tomatoes.

Enjoy cooking

Ceviche

This is also a dish i will be serving at our next dinner party along with the eggplant souffle.

Ceviche

Ingredients

3/4 lb of fresh halibut
3/4 lb of fresh wild salmon
1/2 of fresh bay scallops
1 red onion quartered and thinly sliced
3/4 cup of thinly sliced and seeded cucumber
1/2 cup of diced avocado
1/2 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, stems removed
2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, zest the limes prior to juicing
2 table spoons of fresh grapefruit juice, pink or red of course
1 teaspoon of pineapple vinegar
2 teaspoons of the lime zest
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of raw honey

Directions

Cut up the fish and scallops into bite sizes pieces and place into a plastic bowl or Tupperware. Next add the onion and jalapeno in to the bowl. In a glass bowl mix together the lime and grapefruit juices, vinegar, salt, honey, zest and cilantro. Pour mixture over the fish and toss to coat, cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes but no more than hour or the fish become chewy.

Five minutes before serving add the balance of the ingredients and toss to coat and let stand for 5 minute then serve.

I plate these up in small bowls lined with cilantro leaves and i garnish with thin sliced lime and grapefruit wedges.

Enjoy cooking

Eggplant Souffle

Here is a recipe that i will be using at our next dinner party.

Eggplant Souffle

Ingredients

4 Large eggplants
8 eggs
8 oz of goat cheese or brie
3/4 cup of milk
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of Parsley chopped and stems removed
1 1/2 teaspoon of ground yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
a pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut 3 of the large egg plants in half and place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast until the skin has been come chard. Remove from oven and let cool.

Next slice the remaining eggplant from top to bottom into 16 ribbon like slices. Place slices on another parchment lined baking sheet, salt and pepper to taste and place in the oven and roast until golden brown, about 3 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Once the half eggplants have cooled, using a spoon remove the pulp from the eggplant into a large bowl.

In another bowl whisk together the eggs, lemon zest and the milk until combined. Next add the mustard, nutmeg, cumin and parsley. Now add the eggplant pulp into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

You are going to need 8 ramekins and deep baking dish.

Take the sliced eggplants and line each of the ramekins with two slices, chris crossing them at the bottom, and letting the excess hang over the sides. You be closing up the ramekins with the excess once filled. Next spoon the eggplant mixture in filling it about a little less the half. Now crumb either goat cheese or brie into ramekins then top off with more eggplant mixture and then close off the top with the eggplant slices that are hanging over the sides. Repeat with the remaining ramekins.

Place filled ramekins into a deep baking dish and fill half way up with water. Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until eggplant mixture has set.

Remove ramekins from the bath and let cool until you are able to handle the ramekins. Now place the ramekins open side down on a plate and un-mold the eggplant souffle from the ramekins.

Serve

Enjoy cooking

Buffalo Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Mac and Cheese

Ok this start is the same for each of the mac and Cheese, you need 2 lbs of pasta of choice and you need to make a Bechamel Sauce.

Ingredients

3 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup of flour
8 cups of milk
2 lbs of pasta of choice, cook 2 minutes less then it states on the package
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of each of powdered garlic and onion
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb of mozzarella cheese grated
1 lb of goat cheese crumbled
1 lb of Chevre cheese crumbled
1/2 lb of Buffalo Blue cheese crumbled
2/3 cup of celery leaves chopped

6 to 8 large boneless chicken breast, skin removed, diced in 1 inch cubes
veggie oil
1/2 corn starch
1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup plus 2 to 3 table spoons Louisiana Hot sauce
1/4 cup apple vinegar
3 tables spoons of onion powder
3 tables spoons of garlic powder


Directions

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

Now there are allot of things you need to do here at once - start with the chicken first Let's start with the sauce, place one stick of butter in a sauce pan and melt, then remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce, the apple vinegar, the onion and garlic powder and salt and pepper then set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat add enough veggie oil to skillet to be about 2 inches deep.

You will need a container with a lid that you can shake the fried chicken in with the hot sauce mixture.

Whisk together the corn starch and 1/2 cup of flour. Now you need to do to things at once here. Bring the cube chicken and the dredging mix to the stove with the skillet of oil. Now dredge the cubes of chicken in the mixture, pat off any excess mixture and drop them in the hot oil, fry about 2 to 3 minutes until crispy. Now only dredge the chicken right before fry and not before, they will be come doughy. As you remove the first batch of chicken drop it in the container and add about 1/4 cup of the hot sauce mixture, put the lid and shake. You want the chicken well coated; shake for a least a minute. Remove from the container and place on a plate: DO NOT DUMP the chicken out, you want the chicken coated not swimming in the sauce.
Repeat until all the chicken is cooked and coated.

Now start on the bechamel sauce and the pasta.

Place the water on for the pasta and bring to a boil and drop the pasta; remember to cook the pasta 2 minutes less then the package states

In a deep sauce pan place 2 sticks of butter over medium high heat. Once melted add the cup of flour and whisk until you have a golden yellow rue. Now add the milk and whisk to blend. Once the bechamel starts to thicken, salt and pepper to taste, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder and add the 2 to 3 table spoons of Louisiana hot sauce. Once the sauce gets to the consistency of yogurt add in a 1/4 of each of the cheese with the exception of the blue. Whisk to melt and remove from heat and add 1/3 of a cup of the celery leaves and stir.

In a very large deep baking pan add the pasta and 1/2 of each of the cheese with the exception of the blue, toss to coat. Next add the bechamel sauce to the pan and toss to coat. Now add the chicken, the balance of the celery leaves and the blue cheese and toss to mix throughout. Top off with the balance of the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake over 15 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy Cooking