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. 

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!

Mashed Red Potatoes with Green Onions and Kerrygold Butter

These are delicious!

Ingredients:

Red potatoes, we always steam

green onions, chopped

salt

Heavy cream 

Cream Cheese

Sour cream

Kerrygold butter

Directions:

Combine everything in a stand mixer with the whip attachment and whip together! Add Kerrygold butter on top. 

What we liked:

IT IS YUMMY!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it is great!

What Kaspian, Astrid and Orion thought about it:

Astrid was not too into it, but the boys loved the potatoes. 

Next time:

No changes needed

Store meat vs. Meat Market meat

We grilled the meat the exact same way, side by side. One was from the store, the other from a meat market. Guess which was from where. The taste was also IMMENSELY different. The texture was different as well of the two meats. 

Left is store. Right is Meat Market 

These are from the meat market, steak tips and steak

Meat Market steak

Meat Market Steak

Whole Roast Chicken with Garlic and Butter

We made a whole roast chicken for the fist time yesterday. It turned out quite yummy!

Our oven has a "roast" setting and we used that at 400 F. It turned out quite amazing. 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 head of garlic peeled and chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup butter pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

salt and pepper

1 lemon, halved

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F on Roast

2. Spray roasting pan or line with foil. 

3. Wash chicken and pat dry. Make sure to remove everything from cavities. 

4. Combine melted butter, olive oil, juice of half lemon, and white wine. Mix and pour on chicken, making sure to get inside the cavity and under skin. 

5. Place garlic and butter pieces under chicken skin and in cavity. 

6. Place chicken in pan breast side up. Place remaining half lemon into the cavity. 

7. Bake for about 1:10 minutes until juices from thigh run clear when speared. 

8. When cooked, let rest for 10 minutes out of the oven. 

We served with mashed potatoes, but it could be good with anything!

What we liked:

It was fun to make something new. The skin turned out great too!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was great. 

What Kaspian, Astrid and Orion thought about it:

They loved it. Astrid and Orion especially liked eating the chicken legs like barbarians :) 

Next time:

No changes needed.