37 posts tagged “vinegar”
Jen from use real butter is our host for the Daring Cooks June 2009 challenge. It's a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum. The recipe she provided is based on her family recipe. There is a lot of room for exploration and creativity.
Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers
dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface
dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)
Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).
Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky. [Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water.]
Make the dough, Method 2 (Jen's mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch. [My note: I used a little more water than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe. The dough is not supposed to be soft, but not too stiff either. Use your own judgement and you might have to just trust your instinct and see what happens.]
Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in Jen's post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.
To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.
To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.
To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.
To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.
I made dumplings in the soup, deep-fried dumplings, and the traditional potstickers.
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (PPK)
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and sliced across to 1/4-inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced to 1/4-inch pieces
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
15 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup freeze-dried chives
1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. black bean chili sauce
A dash of Hungarian paprika
3 water-packed baby artichokes, well drained and squeezed dry, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
20 capers, drained and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Deep all vegetables from eggplant to tomatoes (one type of vegetable at one time). When done, dry on paper towel very well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash deep-fried vegetables, tofu ricotta, all spices, and everything else together until creamy and well-combined.
10 cups water
1 cup dried konbu
3 large cabbage leaves
1/2 cup fresh scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp. white miso
Salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes before adding the boiled dumplings.
Verdict: Once you get the hang of making your own wrappers, you can make your dumplings in no time. It's a fun way of eating and certainly a one-pot-meal. Regarding the pleating part, I thoroughly had fun. It may seem difficult at first, but if you are patient enough to try a couple more times, you will get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's really not so hard.
For more dumpling/potsticker variations, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
For this challenge, I was bold enough to make a savory version (Spinach, Artichoke and Potato Strudel) as well as a sweet version (the classic Apple Strudel). I had a lot of fun with the dough, rolling and hand-stretching. The delicate dough is not so hard to work with as long as you remain patient and give the dough enough time to rest before rolling and stretching. The ideal dough should be paper thin and you should be able to read newspaper underneath.
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided (I used Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.
3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.
4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.
4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.
Tips
- I did not make a double batch like our kind hosts suggested, but I did make a second batch later on. The first time might be a bit trying or scary; but, letting the dough rest at least 2 hours does all of the work for you. When the dough is ready, you will not find the dough pulling back at all while you roll out.
- I used parchment paper instead of table cloth (since I don't have any) with great success.
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves.
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you need to use your whole body. And, the best way is to involve your spouse.
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible. Even rather big ones can be ignored as the dough will be rolled around and around the filling.
- Cooling for 30 minutes before cutting is critical, if you can stand it.
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 oz. bag of spinach, chopped
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 red-skinned potatoes, baked and mashed
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter
1 15 oz. can water-packed artichokes, well drained and chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
4 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until onion gets translucent.
2. Add spinach by batches and cook just until spinach wilts.
3. Add oregano and mix well. Remove from heat.
4. Add all the other ingredients into the pan and thoroughly mix. Set aside.
To see more delicious strudels, check out the Daring Bakers blogroll.
I must declare that semolina cornbread is by far the best cornbread I have had. From now on, I will make sure that I use some semolina flour in my cornbread. In fact, I plan to make a semolina cake soon. The awesome semolina cornbread recipe is from Jude of Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté (another great blog that I visit often). This cornbread has a better texture - more substantial and toothsome. The flavor is very pleasant too.
I can't think of a better title for this post. This is perfect! I have been following Mary's blog One Perfect Bite for a little while, with secret admiration. There are many great recipes that can enrich your lunch or dinner table without taking up too much of your precious time. And it's so much fun to just browse through those gorgeous photos.
I have already tried two recipes in the past two days. I think my admiration is growing more ardent. The first recipe to recommend is Moros y Christianos (Moors and Christians), a Cuban rice dish that will hit that spot when you crave for something nourishing and delicious.
(Makes 2 servings)
1/3 cup guacamole (homemade or store-bought)
2 long-stem artichokes, well-drained and chopped
1/3 cup freeze-dried chives
1 to 2 tsp. dried parsley
2 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of red pepper flakes.
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
3 to 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
1/5 to 1/4 cup halved walnuts
6 oz. spelt ziti
3 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup carrot matchsticks
1. Mix everything from guacamole to walnuts in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside.
2. Cook spelt ziti according to the package instructions, al dante. In the last minute, throw in broccoli and carrots. Strain.
3. Mix the ziti, broccoli and carrots with the above "sauce" in the large mixing bowl to incorporate everything well. Serve immediately.
I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. This week's host will be Ben of What's Cooking.
Flickr and Vox just played a practical joke on me. I was trying to add a few Flickr photos into my library, and I encountered an error and got the whole "the world is a very unpredictable place" speech. This only happened once before, in all three years. So it's cook, I thought. I religiously downloaded those photos from my Flickr account and planned to upload them to my Photobucket album. While downloading, I didn't quite give up on Vox/Flickr. I clicked again and again but the same error appeared every time. But guess what? Right after I downloaded all the photos and was ready to upload to Photobucket, the function came back. I was able to add those Flickr photos to my library like nothing ever happened. I guess this is the Sunday spirit of Vox/Flickr.
Enough ranting. I made some awesome sweet bread for a change. I saw this great Mexican Pan Dulce Conchitas recipe on Toxobread two days ago, and I remembered seeing a couple of scrumptious Conchas on Toxobread a few days ago. Sweet yeasted bread, Mexican, cocoa and cinnamon topping, buttermilk soft dough, I was completely sold right there. These sweet chocolate-y soft rolls are a combination of sweet bread and chocolate cookies. It was really fun making them too.
I totally thought the below dough balls were my little babies (before the topping and second rise). It was very easy to veganize these buns. I simply used soymilk with apple cider vinegar as the buttermilk and skipped the two eggs. The resulting dough was extremely soft and smooth, just like what sweet bread should be.
This is the chocolate cinnamon cookie topping looking like a shell. As you can see, I didn't keep up the good shaping work for every roll. The egg yolk in the cookie dough can be just replaced with one teaspoon of water. I used whole wheat pastry flour as well.
These are some wonderful conchas right out of the oven.
I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I do not feel ready for the shift between day and night. There seems to be a constant shortage of time. When the night comes, I only get anxious and wish I could fast forward to the next day without having to actually lay down and close my eyes and let my mind go on a ridiculous trip. When the day emerges, I have invariably left behind my resolve, my revelations and my new goals. Maybe it is just the first month of the new year that has made my knees shake. I so want to hold on to each and every moment that I hold on to almost nothing at all. Thus the first 15 days went by and I have done absolutely nothing extraordinary.
Enough complaining. I have lost some of the enthusiasm for cooking lately, so I resort to risottos again. It will get better in time, I suppose.
Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Risotto
(Makes 4 servings)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar roasted red peppers in olive oil, or two large roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups white jasmine rice or arborio rice
4 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups warm vegetable stock
1 jar water-packed artichokes (or roasted artichokes packed in oil), drained well * (see notes)
4 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Saute onions, garlic and roasted red peppers over medium heat for about 7 minutes until onions are slightly golden.
2. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice is completely coated with oil.
3.
Add parsley, paprika and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Keep stirring to make sure
the rice does not get burned or stuck on the bottom of the pot.
4. Pour in the wine and let cook until it is all absorbed.
5.
Ladle in the warm vegetable stock and stir well. Cook until the stock
is absorbed. (Keep stirring when the rice seems much drier to prevent
it from being burnt on the bottom.)
6. Ladle in hot water by batches. 1 1/2 cups each time. Cook until the water is completely absorbed. Stir frequently.
7.
When the water is all used up and the rice is completely cooked, remove
from heat. Add nutritional yeast and salt and pepper and mix well.
Serve warm.
* If you use marinated artichokes in a jar, it is OK too. But do not use any marinated artichokes with a very strong vinegary taste. Make sure you drain really well, and you can probably rinse a bit in a bowl of water and drain again.
Now onto some stuff I made in the last few days. A tempeh cassrole, recipe by Jessy of "happyveganface". I added half a fennel bulb simply because I had it laying around in my fridge for ever. I thought it was pretty good, but my hubby did not like it as it is. Too bland, he says. But he loved it after he fried it up a bit and added some curry sauce to it.
And a loaf of spelt white bread, recipe by Nicole of Baking Bites again. Great bread! The texture and consistency were really excellent.
We have been trying to entice more squirrels to come visit our yard more often by leaving mixed nuts on our lounge chairs and on the ground outside our lanai. So far, the first batch of nuts were consumed by one single squirrel a week ago; I watched the little fellow eat most of them and bury some in different holes. The second batch of nuts were mysteriously "stolen", on two consecutive nights, by some nocturnal animal. I haven't found any evidence of a raccoon living in the neighborhood, but I have seen a few cats wandering in our yard every day. Do cats eat nuts too? The mystery is that whatever animal ate the nuts, it also left a lot of white powder around the site. Since yesterday we had a lot of rain, unending. Now that the white powder is gone, the nuts gone, and it is super wet outside, I haven't seen any squirrel out in the yard yet. By the way, our nuts have a serious competition. My hubby told me that there is a lady living a street down who has some squirrel feeders that attract at least a dozen squirrels every day.
While waiting for the squirrels to come, I concocted a dish that combines my two favorite staples: scrambled tofu and tofu paprikash. So I named this Scrambled Tofu Paprikash. It is by far the best tofu dish we have ever tasted, since it combines the sweet paprika and tangy tomato taste and lots of fresh vegetables like cauliflower and yellow squash.
Scrambled Tofu Paprikash
(Makes 5-6 servings)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
7-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced green onions
4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite size
4 small to medium yellow squashes, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 Tofurky Italian sausage, thinly sliced
5 tsp. sweet paprika
3 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1. Saute onions, garlic and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower, yellow squashes and tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Uncover. Add paprika, parsley, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add tofu and sausage pieces and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Mix in salt and pepper and nutritional yeast and adjust the spices if you want. Serve warm.
I have been completely absorbed in reading lately, which is the reason why I haven't had much time for cooking. I am currently reading the last volume of In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust) and To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf). I just finished Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf) 2 days ago. Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf are my two favorite authors, and I can't read enough of their books. So, I only have two food photos to share this time.
Marinated Italian Tofu (Veganomicon). This is still one of my favorite ways of eating tofu.
Maple Snack Cake (recipe by Gretchen Noelle of 'Canela & Comino'). This is a must-try recipe for anyone who loves maple syrup. And who doesn't love maple syrup? It is a very dense and moist cake perfect for afternoon tea.
