Saturday, March 11, 2023

Rye Bread - 2 loaves

We had some rye flout and made rye bread. It turned out marvelous! Two things to change from the original recipe is - bake at 350 and use a little less of the wheat flour, maybe half a cup less, I think it might be better. 

Original recipe: https://www.marthastewart.com/866882/rye-bread










Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons (half a stick) melted butter
2 tablespoons caraway seeds plus more for topping..if you remember!
2 tablespoons salt
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups rye flour 
egg for egg wash
silicon mats for baking on

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine water, yeast and honey. Mix. 
2. Add in butter, caraway seeds, and salt. Mix. 
3. Add in all the flours and mix with the dough hook until a nice dough ball forms. 
4. Cover with saran wrap and let rise. 
5. separate into two loaves and place on silicon baking mats. Cover with saran wrap with a towel on top. Let rise. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 F
7. Apply beaten egg as egg wash and sprinkle with caraway seeds on top
8. Bake about 40 minutes until done. 
9. Serve! Warm with butter and sprinkled with salt is fantastic!

What we liked:

It was great!

What we didn't like:

a little less flour might be better

What Kaspian thought about it:

liked it!

Next time:

follow the recipe above which deviates from the original slightly by flour amounts 

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Blueberry Muffins

These are absolutely glorious and taste better than coffee shop ones!
This was a great way to use up blueberries. The kids tend to either love blueberries and eat them all at once, and then, the next time you buy them - they won't touch them. This is a good way to use them and create a great breakfast item that is quick. These are pretty crumbly though. 




Original Recipe: https://www.culinaryhill.com/blueberry-muffins/

Ingredients:

Batter: 
2 cups  flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
0.5 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
0.5 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries

Topping: 
0.25 cups flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp sugar
0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsps cold butter 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Line a muffin tin - we made 12 regular muffins with cupcake liners 
3. In a bowl combine 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Mix. 
4. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk eggs. Add the half a cup of melted butter, milk, and vanilla until combined. 
5. By spoonfulls add in the dry flour mixture until mixed in. 
6. Turn off mixer and add in the blueberries.

For the topping, in a small bowl combine all ingredients and use hands or a fork to stir in together until coarsely lumpy. Place in freezer for a few minutes. 

7. While the topping is in the freezer, fill the muffin cups. 
8. Add topping to each muffin 
9.  Bake 18 to 22 minutes. 

What we liked:

It was great! 

What we didn't like:

Nothing. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

It was a nice change from banana nut muffins

Next time:


Pigs in a Blanket

This is a super easy, fun and yummy recipe that leaves everyone happy and fulfilled. Make sure to use good hot dogs though. 

original recipe https://lovelylittlekitchen.com/homemade-pigs-in-a-blanket/



Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oil (olive or sunflower)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

12 or 16 hot dogs

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Mix yeast, warm water, oil, sugar,  salt together in a stand mixer bowl. 
2. Add flour, while mixing with the dough hook. 
3. When a dough ball forms that is not too sticky, stop. Cover with saran wrap and towel on top. 
4. Let rise for about an hour 
5. Preheat oven to 400. 
6. Divide the dough into the number of hot dogs or sausages you have. make long strips that you then flatten. 
7. Wrap each flat strip around each hot dog. 
8. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with silicon mat about an inch or so apart so they don't rise into each other. 
8. Combine egg and milk and brush on to each hot dog sprinkling with sesame seeds on top (this is optional but does add to the final dish)
9. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. 
10. Serve with dipping sauces while still hot!

What we liked:

Quick, yummy and handheld!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was great

What Kaspian thought about it:

Loved them. So did Deda!

Next time:

no changes needed, just make more!

Echpochmak - Tatarian Dumpling

After New Year (I know...it's taken a while to post this) we had meat mixture from Manti left over. Weren't sure what to do with it and found this. The original recipe calls for potatoes instead of the pumpkin we had in the manti, but that's okay, it worked out quite splendidly. It would be super fun to try with the potato though!





Here's the original recipe: https://1000.menu/cooking/1603-echpochmak

Ingredients:

600 g flour
200 ml milk
125 grams (1 stick) butter
9 grams yeast
salt
1 tbsp sugar

Filling: 
we used left over manti filling which was 1:1:1 ground beef, pumpkin, onion plus salt and pepper seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Combine yeast with warm milk add sugar and mix in the stand mixer
2. Add softened butter 
3. Mix
4. Add in flour and salt and using the dough hook, mix until the dough is slightly sticky but forms a dough ball. 
5. Put in a warm place to rise. 
6. After dough has risen, I like to split the dough in half, then each half into half again until I get the desired number of dough balls. Then I roll them out. 
7. Add filling and pinch the circles together into a triangle shape. 

8. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes

Optional - and Egg wash with one egg and some milk will result in a nice crispy, crunchy looking top - if you add sesame seeds to the top it adds to the aesthetics.  

What we liked:

It was fun to try a new recipe and this was a great way to use up leftover manti filling. 

What we didn't like:

It was probably not as good as pirjoki... and we would like to try with the potato filling instead of the pumpkin. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked it okay, not too thrilled with it. 

Next time:

try the potatoes mixed with meat!

Friday, December 2, 2022

Pirojki with Meat and Rice - Baked

Nom nom. 




Ingredients: 

Dough: 
500 ml Milk
100 ml oil
2 tbsp yeast
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
5 cups flour

Filling: 
Meat
Rice
oil
finely chopped Onions
shredded Carrots
Greens (green onions, parsley, whatever) 

Egg plus 2 tbsp milk for egg wash

Sesame seeds for topping if desired

Directions:

1. Combine all but the dough ingredients together in a stand mixer. Mix. let stand for about 5-10 minutes
2. Add flour.
3. Mix the dough until it's all mixed in and not too sticky. 
4. cover with saran wrap and a towel. 
5. Let sit until it rises - (1-2 hrs)

Make the filling: 

1. Fry onions and shredded carrots in a dutch oven with oil until soft. 
2. Add in meat, if raw - until cooked. If cooked, until warmed. 
3. Add salt and pepper to taste
4. Add rice
5. Mix
6. Add greens if you have any. 
7. Mix. 

Assemble

Preheat oven to 350 F 

1. Divide dough in half. Then in half again. Should make about 20 or 24 Pirojki depending on size. Keep dividing until you have equal sized lumps. 
2. Roll out the lumps into dough circles. 
3. Pinch sides together and put on a sprayed silicon mat seam side down. You can make triangle, or elongated pirojki. If you have different filling or different spices, different shapes will help you differentiate the different kinds. 
4. Apply eggwash (whisk egg plus milk) with a brush and sprinkle sesame seeds on top
5. Make sure they are not touching as they will puff up. 
6. Bake for about 30 minutes. 

What we liked:

Yummy, fun, easy to reheat. 

What we didn't like:

Nothing, they were good. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

NOM NOM. He especially loves them with sriracha. 

Next time:

silicon mats work better than foil. 
Setting up the Netgear Nighthawk Mesh system to work as 3 nodes (access points) with the Nighthawk RAXE450 router 

Default IP for Netgear Nighthawk Mesh: 192.168.1.1 - this is the IP you will need to access after factory reset. Factory reset with the router Mesh cube (with the ethernet and internet ports) plugged in but nothing else connected. Reset by holding the reset button for 50 seconds. Lights should change. 

Default username: admin
Default Pw: password

When you create a new password it MUST be 10 characters, have symbol and a capital letter. It will let you create a character that doesn't fit these criteria and then won't let you login, you will have to factory reset. 


When you get in, screen will look like this if the router cube is set up as ACCESS POINT - it says it on the top : 




To set it up as the Access Point, click "Advanced" Tab next to the "Basic" tab at the top. 

Then, click Advanced Setup and Wireless AP



Check the box "Enable AP Mode". Then, scroll down and select the first option to get the static IP from main router. Click APPLY in bottom right corner


This should have it function as the Access Point and work as a reflector for the wifi. 
Devices may be logged into either the WiFi for the Access Point or for the main router, either will work. The devices will be seen by both. 


After you set it up as the Access Point, you will plug it into the router using the INTERNET port.

You might have to go in and set it up as access point again under the new IP. to get the new IP to login into, either look in the router or the Nighthawk app. You can login to the new IP with the new credentials you created earlier and follow the steps above to se up as Wireless AP. This time it should stick. 

The IP of the MR60 will change, so you will have to look it up each time before logging into it. 

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Brioche Toast with Apple Creme Anglaise

Astrid and Alona went to the Dallas Arboretum last Thanksgiving week (2021). The day they were there, was chef demonstration and tasting day! They watched Chef Isabel (We think!) prepare an Apple Creme Anglaise with brioche toast.  It has taken a few months for the Dallas Arboretum to finally post the recipe, but they did and we made it and it is pretty amazing. Although tedious, it is well worth it. 

Brioche Toast with Apple Creme Anglaise

Lightly Toasted Brioche in a Cast Iron Pan

Anglaise with Rum Apples

Creme Anglaise

Egg yolks 

Milk cooking

Apples to be mixed with Rum!


Ingredients:

1 loaf of Brioche Toast
2 eggs + a tad of cream, mixed to dip the brioche in to toast

2 apples, chopped into cubes or so - we used gala
1 - 1.5 cup of milk
0.5 cups of heavy cream, or so
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup of sugar - or so - you can change to taste
1/2 cup of rum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Chop the apples
2. Place apples into a small pan, pour rum over them and cook until softened and alcohol has cooked out. Do not be alarmed if alcohol flambes (similar to bananas foster). 
3. Stir in Vanilla to apples
4. While apples are cooking, you can whisk together the sugar, egg yolks and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Use a bowl that is heat resistant. 
5. Bring milk and cream to a boil. 
6. Very slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while constantly whisking to temper the eggs. Do this until about half of the milk mixture remains. 
7. Now, slowly, pour the tempered egg mixture back into the milk pan, whisking constantly. If it begins to boil, lower the heat. 
8. Cook, stirring continuously, until the creme Anglaise begins to thicken. 
9. Turn off the heat and stir in the rum apples. 

10. Quickly dip the brioche toast pieces into egg or egg and cream and fry on a cast iron pan for just 20-30 seconds per side. 

11. Serve brioche toast with ladled apple anglaise on top. 

What we liked:

It is amazing. 

What we didn't like:

It is time consuming! And you have egg whites left over. 

What Kaspian, Astrid and Orion thought about it:

They absolutely LOVED it. 

Next time:

No changes, maybe make more!