Chocolate Babka

Servings: 
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 2 days
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018045-chocolate-babka

Baking a chocolate babka is no casual undertaking. The Eastern European yeast-risen coffee cake has 14 steps and takes all day to make. But the results are worth every sugarcoated second – with a moist, deeply flavored brioche-like cake wrapped around a dark fudge filling, then topped with cocoa streusel crumbs.

If you want to save yourself a little work and love Nutella, you can substitute 1 1/2 cup (420 grams) of it for the homemade fudge filling. Also note that you can make this over a few days instead of all at once. Babka freezes well for up to 3 months, so if you need only one loaf now, freeze the other for later.

Ingredients: 

FOR THE DOUGH:
½ cup/118 milliliters whole milk
1 package (1/4 ounce/7 grams) active dry yeast
⅓ cup/67 grams granulated sugar, plus a pinch
4 ¼ cups/531 grams all-purpose flour, more as needed
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowls and pans

FOR THE FUDGE FILLING:
½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar
¾ cup/177 milliliters heavy cream or half-and-half
Pinch kosher salt
6 ounces/170 grams extra bittersweet chocolate, preferably between 66 and 74 percent cocoa, coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons/112 grams/1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE STREUSEL:
½ cup/60 grams all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons/45 grams granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons/11 grams cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ½ tablespoons/64 grams unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup/60 grams mini semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE SYRUP:
⅔ cup/135 grams granulated sugar

Directions: 

Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.

In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don’t have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.

Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.

Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won’t be as developed).

Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.

Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.

Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there’s no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.

When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Kish Family Two-Bread Stuffing

Servings: 16
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 2 hours
Source: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/kish-family-two-bread-stuffing

Top Chef winner Kristen Kish’s mom came up with this two-bread stuffing to please both sides of her family: half from Michigan, where white bread stuffing is essential, and half from Texas, where they demand cornbread. A double batch feeds a crowd with plenty of leftovers for the next day.

We modified the recipe to use a 1lb loaf of ciabatta instead of white sandwich bread. The D&E cornbread recipe yields 6 cups. We used 4 C of vegetarian bouillon stock, which makes this a vegetarian side. Very moist. Not sure if 6 C needed

Ingredients: 

Unsalted butter, for greasing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups finely chopped yellow onions
4 cups finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon grated garlic
12 cups prepared cornbread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 pounds)
2 (1-pound) day-old ciabatta, torn into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6?) cups vegetarian bouillon stock

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (13- x 9-inch) baking dishes with butter. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onions and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add sage and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Add cornbread, sandwich bread, parsley, salt, and pepper; stir until well combined. Gradually stir in stock until breads are evenly moistened. Scrape mixture into prepared baking dishes. Bake in preheated oven until hot and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce With Vermouth and Orange

Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019721-slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-with-port-and-orange

Based on the NYTimes recipe, but we didn’t have port on hand and used Carpano Antica Formula vermouth instead, and it was quite good.

This classic, sweet and tangy cranberry sauce tastes complex but is quite easy to make. The slow cooker method saves in-demand stovetop space for other Thanksgiving dishes, and the sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Ingredients: 

24 ounces fresh or frozen, thawed cranberries (about 5 cups)
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup vermouth, or ruby or tawny port
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Kosher salt

Directions: 

Put the cranberries into a medium saucepan. Scoop out about 3/4 cup of the berries and finely chop. Set aside. Add the sugar, vermouth or port and half the orange zest into the pan, and stir. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until many of the berries have popped and the sauce has thickened and is jammy and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved chopped cranberries and the remaining orange zest. Spoon into a serving bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Quiche Lorraine

Servings: 4
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: From Julia Child’s Kitchen

Ingredients: 

Pate Brisee, pre-baked in an 8-9″ pie shell
5 or 6 thick slices bacon, cooked and crisp
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
pinches of pepper and nutmeg
1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp butter

Directions: 

Crumble bacon into the bottom of the pastry shell. Beat up the filling to be sure all is blended and pour enough into the shell to come 1/4 inch from its rim at its lowest point. It is better to use too little than too much, since any overfill will swell up and spill a large part of your custard into the over. Hold the butter over the top of the quiche, cutting it into quart-inch bits and dropped them on the surface.

Place the quiche in the pre-heated oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. Normally the quiche mixture will slowly begin to set, rising about double as it does so; when has risen completely, in 30-35 minutes, and the top is nicely browned, it is done.

Chicken, Leek and Rice Soup

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 50 Minutes
Source: Smitten Kitchen

A great chicken rice soup…rice, leeks and garlic make the difference.
Ok to use pre-cooked leftover rice.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
2 large or 3 medium leeks, halved and thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 carrot sticks, thinly sliced (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade
2 cups water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup long-grain white rice (I used jasmine)
Big handful chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, and dill are favorites here)
Lemon zest and juice
Red pepper flakes (I’m using Aleppo, which is milder) or harissa

Directions: 

Heat olive oil or butter over medium-high heat in a 4- to 5-quart pot. Add leeks, celery, and carrot (if using), salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until leeks have softened a bit, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute more. Add broth, water, and chicken plus salt (I use 2 to 3 teaspoons of additional kosher salt for barely-salted stock) and many grinds of black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for 15 minutes, until chicken is very tender and cooked through. Remove chicken with tongs and set on a cutting board. Add rice and return the heat to a low simmer, cover with lid, and cook for 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Use two forks to shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the soup to rewarm. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and finish with some herbs, lemon zest, red pepper flakes (or harissa), and serve
with lemon wedges on the side.

Note: Rice continues to expand in soup so the longer you have the soup sitting, the more porridge-y it will seem.

Creepy Witch Finger Cookies

Servings: 36 cookies
Preheat: 325
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.simplysogood.com/creepy-witch-finger-cookies/

Tender crisp butter cookie shaped witch fingers. Creepy Witch finger cookies are a perfect Halloween treat. How can something that tastes this good look so bad?

Ingredients: 

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon salt, if using salted butter)
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
green food coloring (few drops)
1 tube red decorator gel or raspberry jam

Directions: 

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract; beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Add a few drops of green food coloring until it reaches your desired green. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for the nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using a paring knife or toothpick, make several places to form knuckle.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Let cool. Makes about 28 large cigar size cookies. If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.

Puttanesca Sauce – Recipe from the 1980’s

Servings: 4
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: Kathy T2

Serve Sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Ingredients: 

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 onion chopped
3/4 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, halved and pitted
8 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 lb. arugula leaves
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the garlic and onion until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook 4 minutes .
3. Add the pepper and saute until soft, approx. 4 minutes.
4. Stir in the olives, herbs, red pepper flakes.
5. Add the arugula and cook until wilted.
6. Season to taste.

Grilled Sinaloa Style Chicken (Charcoal Grill)

Servings: 4
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 12 hours
Source: https://mysliceofmexico.ca/2020/08/04/sinaloa-style-chicken-ii-on-a-charcoal-grill/

Sinaloa Style Chicken is a well known dish in Mexico, and also in some parts of the United States, from chains such as Pollo Loco™ and Pollo Feliz™. The success of these restaurants resides in their secret marinades, and the spatchcocking of the chickens, a grandiloquent term which means to cut and open a whole chicken into a piece with more or less a uniform thickness, reducing cooking times, and rendering well done legs and thighs without drying out the breasts.

Ingredients: 

1 whole chicken

Marinade:
1 orange, juice only
1 lime, juice only
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne or other ground dry pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Red Sauce:
4 red tomatoes
3-4 red hot peppers
Onion, shallots and/or garlic, to taste
Salt, to taste

Grilled Onions:
1 bunch green onions (preferably knob onions)
1 tbsp oil
Sat to taste

Marinated Cabbage:
2 cups cabbage; washed and shredded
1 cup carrots; washed, peeled and shredded
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:
Lime wedges
Warm corn tortillas
Tortilla chips

Directions: 

Mix all the marinade ingredients; set aside. Prepare the chicken by cleaning and patting dry with a paper towel. Place on working surface, back facing up. To spatchcock, using sharp kitchen shears, cut along either side of the back bone; remove and use for broth or other recipe. Open back sides, so the flesh is exposed, flip skin side up, firmly press down in the middle, to flatten breast halves, and arrange wings and legs widespread.

Place the spatchcocked chicken in a deep container, pour marinade on top, then turn chicken a couple of times, to coat both sides with the marinade. Let rest in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight. Prepare marinated cabbage by mixing all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl; allow to rest in the fridge for at least one hour before serving, or overnight.

Prepare grill for indirect heat; in a traditional charcoal kettle, place aluminum foil trays along the centre to catch juices from the meat, and fire up charcoal on either side. The spatchcocked chicken may be sliced into halves along the middle of the breast line to fit the grill as necessary. Place chicken on the grill, skin side down, above the trays. Cover with lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, then uncover and flip to bring the skin side facing up, using tongs. Brush green onions with oil and place along the sides of the grill, on direct heat above the coals. Cover again and allow to cook for another 20-25 more minutes, until the meat registers an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the onions are charred.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare sauce. Wash and dry tomatoes and peppers. Remove stems and seeds from peppers; remove stem end from tomatoes and slice into quarters; peel onion/garlic/shallots. Process in the blender with salt to taste until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.

Once the chicken is ready, transfer to a serving plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Bring marinated cabbage out of the fridge; arrange grilled onions on a plate, sprinkling with salt, with lime wedges on the side. Serve chicken with warm corn tortillas, tortilla chips, and all of the above side dishes.

Grilled Vietnamese Shrimp Noodle Bowl Recipe

Servings: 4
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/grilled-vietnamese-shrimp-noodle-bowl-recipe/

Thin rice noodles tend to clump together when cooked. But Andrea Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, developed a cool trick that keeps them from sticking too much: Invert a small bowl in the bottom of the colander for the noodles to drape over as they drain. “We’re scrappy, clever cooks,” says Nguyen. The proof is in this complete meal that stretches the main protein (shrimp) with lettuce, cucumbers, herbs and nuts. The bold flavor comes from nuoc cham, Vietnam’s go-to sauce for dipping and drizzling that’s sweet, sour, salty, hot, and savory all at once.

Ingredients: 

5 ounces rice vermicelli noodles, uncooked
1/2 cup water, lukewarm
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
5 teaspoons fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
4 cups green leaf lettuce, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cups (about 2) Kirby pickling cucumbers (about 2), seeded and diagonally sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup mint leaves, torn
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/3 cup green onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions: 

1. Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
3. Combine 1/2 cup lukewarm water and granulated sugar in a medium bowl, stirring
until sugar dissolves.
4. Add lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and chiles; set aside.
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5. Combine lettuce, cucumber and herbs; set aside.
6. Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl; stir until well
combined. Add shrimp; toss to coat.
7. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to
coat.
8. Add half of shrimp; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are seared.
Remove from pan.
9. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil to wok; swirl to coat. Repeat procedure with remaining
shrimp.
10. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to wok; swirl to coat.
11. Add onions and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds.
12. Return shrimp to pan; stir-fry 1 minute.
13. Arrange about 1 cup lettuce mixture in each of 4 large bowls, and top each serving
with about 1 cup noodles and 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts.
14. Divide the shrimp evenly among servings, and serve each with 1/4 cup of sauce.

Salmon Head Soup

Servings: 6
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://honest-food.net/salmon-head-soup-recipe

Salmon head soup has a more gruesome name than the dish actually is. Yes, it is indeed a fish head soup, and you do use salmon heads to made the broth, but there are no eyeballs, bones or jaws floating around. It is actually a refined, Japanese-style miso soup with noodles. It doesn’t even take very long to make, and this soup is so, so satisfying. You’ll never toss those fish heads again.

Ingredients: 

4 large salmon heads, gills removed
1 small onion chopped, about 1 cup
A 2-inch piece of dried kombu seaweed (optional)
A 3-inch piece of slivered ginger
Salt
1/4 cup 1/4 cup mirin (sweet wine)
Asian noodles somen, udon or rice noodles
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons white miso paste
Chives and sliced chiles, for garnish

Directions: 

Two important things to remember when you use salmon or other fatty fish are 1) to never let this broth boil, or it will get overly fishy and cloudy (think making a tea rather than boiling a soup); and 2) it doesn’t keep well. Eat your fish head soup that evening or the day after. Beyond that, and things can get stinky.

Wash the salmon heads well to remove any blood or gills. Gills will ruin the broth by making it bitter and cloudy. Cover the heads with water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, kombu and ginger and bring to a bare simmer. Do not let this boil. Simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain the broth and save the heads. Pick out all the meat from the heads, especially the cheek meat. Reserve in a bowl.

Return the broth to a clean pot and add the mirin. Heat but do not let boil. Add the soy sauce. If the broth still needs salt, add salt — not more soy sauce, as that will make the broth too dark.

Bring another pot of salted water to a boil: This is for the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.

Ladle out some broth into soup bowls. Add a heaping teaspoon of miso (or more) to each bowl and stir to combine. Portion out the noodles to each bowl. Add the salmon meat on top of the noodles. Each person should get at least one cheek. Cover with more broth, garnish with chives and sliced chiles and serve at once.