Recipes 2 Rival – June 2006 Challenge

Our challenge this month is Beef Wellington! My first thought was, hmmm, not something I have ever wanted to eat. But isn’t that what these challenges are all about, making things you wouldn’t normally make, giving new things a try. So I read on.

According to wikipedia, Beef Wellington “is a preparation of beef tenderloin coated with pâté (often pâté de foie gras) & duxelles, which is then wrapped in puff pastry & baked.”

Okay, my next hmmm was with the pate. I knew I could find vegan puff pastry (albeit with hfcs), I could even make it if I had the time (which I didn’t), but I wasn’t sure I wanted to try to find or make pate, which isn’t hard, its just a texture issue. Luckily, I kept reading & realized that it was optional.

This months host is Mz Kitchen of Madame Chow’s Kitchen. After doing quite a bit of research & experimentation, she put this recipe together. It’s based on the Ultimate Beef Wellington by Tyler Florence, but I added a couple things & eliminated a couple others.

We had to use the puff pastry, some type of protein & the duxelles. Seitan would work well, as would tempeh. Tofu was not recommend because of its high water content & moisture is the enemy here! I chose to go with tempeh because I like the flavor more & it has a very low moisture content. Here are some more tips from our host:

“Cook the duxelles on low heat so that you have a chance to evaporate the liquid, but so that you don’t burn the mushrooms & shallots. If you like your meat rare or medium rare, I suggest keeping the seared beef in the refrigerator until just before you put everything together - it took so long to brown my puff pastry, that the beef was well done. It was still moist, but using cold beef means that it will take longer to cook, giving your puff pastry the time to brown.”

On to the recipe, which I cut in half:
Beef Wellington
For the Duxelles:
3 pints (1 ½ pounds) white button mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil used vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed used tempeh
Extra-virgin olive oil did not use
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only used dried
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen (follow directions on the package)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten didn’t use
8 ounces mousse pate, available in specialty cheese & appetizer cases of larger markets (optional) didn’t use pate

Directions
To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, & thyme to a food processor & pulse until finely chopped. Add butter & olive oil (veg broth) to a large saute pan & set over medium heat. Add the shallot & mushroom mixture & saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt & pepper & set aside to cool completely. This is really good, a great topping for burgers too!

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt & pepper & sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. I skipped this step, didn’t need to do it with the tempeh.

Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool completely.

From our host: “I made the duxelles and seared the tenderloin about 10 hours in advance, and refrigerated both of them. It is important that these items are cold because you will be working with puff pastry, and if they’re warm, they may cause the dough to melt before you get it in the oven.”

About an hour before you plan to serve the Beef Wellington, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a ¼” thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. I used just one piece per serving.

Spread the duxelles mixture down in a column down the middle of the rolled out puff pastry. Thinly slice the mousse and cover the duxelles with it - every square millimeter doesn’t have to be covered, but you’re trying to make sure that every serving gets beef, duxelle, and mousse.

Remove beef from refrigerator. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and brush all the edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the longer sides over the beef, and seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet. I didn’t use the egg wash.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F (rare) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into ¾” thick slices. I baked it for 20 to 25 minutes.

Verdict: We really enjoyed it. Hubby would’ve preferred tofu, he just likes the flavor better, tempeh is too strong for him. We both were glad I didn’t use the pate, it would’ve been too soft/mushy in texture. I served it with huge artichokes, which tasted great.  A nice salad & some green beans would’ve tasted amazing as well.  I have some puff pastry left, so I am going to try this again using seitan. It really doesn’t take that long to make, most of the time is inactive, so you can be doing something else as well (like making some Rustic Bread). Great challenge! Thank you Mz Kitchen of Madame Chow’s Kitchen.

This month’s challenge is hosted by Brianna from http://allyourbread.blogspot.com/ She has chosen a Rustic Bread from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes.

The recipe can be found here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/rusticbread

This is a basic introductory recipe with a preferment, & minimal ingredients. A great recipe for the first time bread baker as well as good practice for advanced bread bakers. Everyone needs a good artisan bread recipe & this is a great one for that. We were able to make adjustments to the recipe for allergies, etc. which is great, although I didn’t have to make a single adjustment to this one. So awesome!!! Oh, we were also required to have fun No problem with that! The hardest part of this recipe (besides the waiting) is the shaping, well, adding the preferment if you don’t have a stand mixer would be the hardest. The shaping really isn’t that hard, just make it whatever shape you like, you can even use a loaf pan if you need to.

Rustic Bread

Makes 2 large loaves

Preferment:
1 lb. bread flour (3 1/2 cups)
9.5 oz. water (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Final dough:
10 oz. bread flour (2 1/2 cups)
6 oz. whole wheat or rye flour or a mixture of them (around 1 1/2 cups)
12.5 oz. water (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
all of the preferment

Put the yeast in the water & stir. Mix the flour & salt together in a bowl & pour in the yeasted water. Mix until the flour is hydrated, adding more water if necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & leave the pre-ferment out at room temperature overnight (up to 16 hours… if you need more time before baking put it in the refrigerator).

To make the final dough, combine all of the ingredients except the pre-ferment in a mixing bowl. Chop the pre-ferment up into small pieces & mix or knead it into the final dough until they are thoroughly combined. This is quite difficult to do by hand: Hamelman assumes the baker has a mixer & can mix it for 5 minutes by machine. I mix & knead my dough by hand for about 10 minutes. At the end of that time the new & old dough aren’t perfectly combined– you can still see a few streaks of the lighter colored pre-ferment in it– but they are sufficiently combined that loaves bake evenly. (The dough was quite sticky, but I avoided adding too much flour, its okay if it’s a little sticky)

Place the dough back in a greased bowl & ferment for 2 ½ hours, punching down or folding the dough twice during that time. (I used the folding method. I really wish I would’ve taken a picture of the dough as it was rising, it is such a joyous sight for those who love bread)

Folding the dough consists of taking the dough out of the bowl, spreading it out a little on a clean surface, folding it in thirds like a letter, rotating it 90 degrees & folding it up again, & then returning the dough to the bowl & covering it again. Like punching down, folding degases the dough some, but it also encourages gluten development.

At the end of the fermentation, divide the dough into 2 pieces & preshape each into a ball. Cover with a clean towel & let each rest for 5 to 10 minutes before shaping into the final shape. Once shaped, cover the loaves with a clean towel & set aside for a final rise, approximately 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

Halfway though the final rise, begin preheating the oven to 450 degrees. If you are using a baking stone, preheat it as well.

Right before placing it in the oven, score the loaves. Place them in the oven & use whatever technique you use to create stream in the oven (squirt bottle, skillet full of hot water, etc) to encourage proper crust development. (I used a skillet of water)

After 20 minutes of baking, rotate the loaves 180 degrees so that they’ll bake evenly. Bake until an instant read thermometer reads around 200 degrees, which took approximately 35 minutes for my batard (”football”) shaped loaves.

I really enjoyed this challenge. I had the kitchen to myself & the day off, so I “rolled up my sleeves” & dug right in. If you have never made bread from scratch before, it is such an amazing & relaxing experience. It does take time, most breads take at least 3 hours, if not all day to make. I did forget to read the directions & didn’t start the preferment until that morning, it really is best to start it the night before & give it a full 8 hours, if not longer to ferment. While the preferment was doing its thing, I baked my Bakewell Tarts…er…Pudding for the Daring Bakers. Eight hours later, it was on to making the bread. I used my Kitchen Aid to help out with the heavy kneading in of the preferment and while it was resting I made dinner, more resting, dessert, then the bread went into the oven. The smell of fresh baked bread is such an amazing thing, you never get tired of it. This is a great recipe to get your feet wet with a Rustic Bread. It tastes great too. I had some with homemade “almond-ella”, also with peanut butter & jelly, as well as with spaghetti. All were good.

The June Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict & Annemarie of Ambrosia & Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

Recipe origins: Traditional (UK)
Inspirations & References: Allan Davidson, Tamasin Day Lewis, Anton Edelmann, Jane Grigson, Nigella Lawson & Jamie Oliver
Hostess: Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict
Co-hostess: Annemarie of Ambrosia & Nectar

From our hosts: “Bakewell tarts…er…puddings combine a number of dessert elements but still let you show off your area’s seasonal fruits.

Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart…er…Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types. The first is the “pudding” where a layer of jam is covered by an almondy pastry cream & baked in puff pastry. The second is the “tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry holds jam & an almondy sponge cake-like filling.

The version we’re daring you to make is a combination of the 2: a sweet almond-flavoured shortcrust pastry, frangipane & jam. The term “Bakewell pudding” was first penned in 1826 by Meg Dods; 20 years later Eliza Acton published a recipe that featured a baked rich egg custard overtop 2cm of jam & noted,

‘This pudding is famous not only in Derbyshire, but in several of our northern counties where it is usually served on all holiday occasions.’ By the latter half of the 1800s, the egg custard evolved into a frangipane-like filling; since then the quantity of jam decreased while the almond filling increased. This tart, like many of the world’s great foods has its own mythic beginnings…or several mythic beginnings. Legend has it in 1820 (or was it in the 1860s?) Mrs. Greaves, landlady of The White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire (England), asked her cook to produce a pudding for her guests. Either her instructions could have been clearer or he should have paid better attention to what she said because what he made was not what she asked for. The cook spread the jam on top of the frangipane mixture rather than the other way around. Or maybe instead of a sweet rich shortcrust pastry case to hold the jam for a strawberry tart, he made a regular pastry & mixed the eggs & sugar separately & poured that over the jam—it depends upon which legend you follow. Regardless of what the venerable Mrs. Greaves’ cook did or didn’t do, lore has it that her guests loved it & an ensuing pastry-clad industry was born. The town of Bakewell has since played host to many a sweet tooth in hopes of tasting the tart in its natural setting. Bakewell tarts are a classic English dessert, abounding in supermarket baking sections & in ready-made, mass-produced forms, some sporting a thick sugary icing & glazed cherry on top for decorative effect. Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee or just eat it sneaky slice by sneaky slice until, to your chagrin, you realise the whole tart has somehow disappeared despite you never having pulled out a plate, fork or napkin with which to eat it.”

I am very glad that I made mini tarts, otherwise I would’ve had the problem of the sneaky bite by sneaky bite & realizing that I had eaten the whole thing! These are mighty tasty. I am going to make this one again, but try to replace the Earth Balance with fruit puree to lighten the fat content a bit.

More from our hosts: “The etymology of pudding is a rather interesting & slightly convoluted one. The naming confusion may come from the British manner of referring to the dessert course as ‘pudding’ (as well as referring to fat babies by the same name, though we don’t think that is what was the inspiration in this case). & so any dessert is a pudding until another name comes along & adds clarity to what it really is.”

For the challenge, we had to make a Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, by hand, please. We also needed to make the Frangipane. We had the option of making a homemade jam or curd, which I sort of did. I used a homemade “almond-ella” which I had made for last months challenge, I also had 2 yummy jams in the fridge that I had bought, so I used those. This recipe comes together quickly & easily. I recommend making the shortbread crust first because it needs to rest in the fridge for a bit. While that is resting, you can make your own jam & the frangipane. You can go here: www.thedaringkitchen.com to see the original recipe. Below is my adaptations & changes:

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Yield: 12 mini tarts
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Flour for dusting
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, sliced almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it’s overly cold, you will need to let it warm up for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin & roll the pastry to ¼” thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the center & roll away from you), & turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size & thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in & trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. For mini tarts, cut out rounds that fit your muffin tin, or silicone mini tart pan.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam/almond-ella onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top & pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy & brownish. Remove from oven & strew flaked almonds on top & return to the heat for the last 5 minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust & the frangipane will be tanned, poofy & a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven & cool on the counter. Serve warm or room temperature. You may drizzle with a little more almond-ella, if desired. When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy & the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Notes from our hosts:

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It’s a pretty popular cake, so you shouldn’t have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes & linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (¼ cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” & strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference & spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out & cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling wrap

8oz whole wheat pastry flour
1oz sugar
½ tsp salt
4oz Earth Balance, frozen
¼ cup soy yogurt
½ tsp almond extract (optional)
1-2 TBSP cold water

1. Sift together flour, sugar & salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater (this really does work best). Using your finger tips only, & working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
2. Lightly beat the soy yogurt with the almond extract (if using) & quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive & slightly sticky dough. I had to use 3 TBSP of water since it was so dry here.
3. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt & vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, 1 tsp of vanilla paste or 1 tsp of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

4.5oz Earth Balance, softened (this is 1 stick and about 1 tsp)
4.5oz powdered sugar
1 ½ TBSP Ener-g Egg Replacer

1/3 cup warm water
½ tsp almond extract
4.5oz ground almonds
1oz whole wheat pastry flour

1. Cream butter & sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl.
2. Whisk together the egg replacer & warm water, add to the butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all of the egg replacer is in, pour in the almond extract & mix for about another 30 seconds & scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts & the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) & retain its pallid yellow colour.

For my toppings, I used some leftover hazelnut praline, pine nuts & slivered almonds. For my fillings, I used almond-ella, peach, mango, orange jam, and apricot jam. They were all yummy! Not sure which my fav is, I really liked them all. I think a little peanut butter mixed with the jam & topped with the frangipane would be good too, but I didn’t try it. Enjoy!

It’s the second installment of The Daring Cooks! Our host this month was Jen from use real butter, what recipe did she choose? Well, she thought it might be a good time for us to try our hand at something that looks daunting, but is actually pretty straightforward.

The Challenge: Chinese dumplings/potstickers (aka gyoza in Japanese)

Jen tells us, “It’s a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, & cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures & is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum. The recipe I provide is based on my family recipe. There is a lot of wiggle room & I encourage you to explore. If you’ve made them before - great! Now try something different!” The process goes a little like this:1. Choose a filling 2. Choose a dough 3. Choose a cooking method (boil, steam, pan-fry)

We had to make our own wrappers, we were not allowed to use pre-made ones. Not too hard, just takes a little patience & practice. For the filling, she gave us a couple of choices, the most common being pork or shrimp. You can fill dumplings/potstickers with just about anything, even blueberries or alomondella. Jen also tells us, “You can make them with other ground meats (beef, chicken…) or vegetarian (tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, glass noodles, Chinese chives - oh yum!). The important thing to keep in mind is that the filling needs to “stick” to itself or else you will make your life incredibly miserable wrapping up filling that keeps falling apart. I think if I were to make vegetarian dumplings, I would sauté the cabbage & mash up the tofu for a better cohesiveness. It’s up to you how you want to fill your dumplings.”

Jen also tells us, “Time: Prep for the filling takes me 30 minutes - longer if peeling & de-veining shrimp. It will depend on your proficiency with a good sharp knife. Rolling & wrapping several dozen dumplings takes me 1 hour by myself. My parents can crank through it in 30 minutes when 1 person is rolling wrappers & the other is wrapping dumplings. Might be fun to get a second person to help! Cooking: I have to cook mine in batches. When steaming, I can cook a dozen at a time in about 10 minutes. Potstickers: 15 minutes per 2 dozen determined by the size of your pan. Boiling - 6 minutes per dozen or so depending on size of pot.”

You can find the original recipe here: http://thedaringkitchen.com/

Here is my changes:

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

vegetablefilling:
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced
½ cup bamboo shoots, minced
¼ cup ginger root, minced
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP corn starch

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl & mix thoroughly.
2. Cover & refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or 2).

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup warm water
flour for work surface

1. In a large bowl mix flour with 1/3 cup of water & stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water 1 teaspoon at a time & mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.
2. Knead the dough about 20 strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.
3. Take the dough & form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 2“ wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 1” 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 1/16“. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper & fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side. I found it easier to pleat first, then fill. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out.

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part red wine vinegar
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)

dash mirin

1. Stir together to combine.

To pan ‘fry’ (potstickers): Place dumplings in a dry frying pan. Heat on medium-high & ‘fry’ for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add ½ cup water & cover. Cook until the water has boiled away & then uncover & reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat & serve.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil & add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

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 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 & 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 chose to pan ‘fry’ mine. I actually made a similar recipe last year for Recipes To Rival

& I boiled those. Personally, I like them better pan ‘fried’. I will make these again, I always love some potstickers.

For dipping, I made the suggested dipping sauce, straight hoisin and a mixture of chinese mustard & soy sauce. Hubby’s fav was the suggested dipping sauce. The hoisin was too sweet, but I really liked the mustard mix, nice & spicy.

These do take a good chunk of time, but the more often you make it, the quicker it gets.

This month the challenge was all about chickpeas. Our host this month was Lori from www.lipsmackinggoodness.blogspot.com. She chose Chickpea Fries and/or Falafel. She also reminds us that “beans have such benefits. They help reduce cholesterol, cost relatively little, offer more fiber in your diet & are environmentally friendly. By that I mean, people don’t realize that there is quite a cost in eating beef for instance. They are pretty heavy animals that have to be cargoed around to graze or be moved before & after slaughter. So for this reason it is quite expensive & detrimental to the environment.” She also challenged us to make pita bread to go along with our falafel, since I have made pita bread before, I decided not to do it, just to save time. If we made the fries, she wanted us to come up with a sauce to dip them in, which I forgot about & didn’t used a sauce at all. We also had the choice not to make the sauce or the pitas & make both the falafel & the chickpea fries, I went with that option. Don’t forget to check out everyone else’s wonderful creations: http://recipestorival.blogspot.com/

Here are the recipes:
CHICKPEA FRIES by Mark Bittman, How To Cook Everything; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
neutral oil, like grapeseed, corn, for greasing and frying
1 cup chickpea flour, sifted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 TBSP water with 1 tsp ground flax seeds
Finely grated Parmesan cheese for garnish nutritional yeast

1. Mash the garlic and salt together. Add the tahini, mixing well. The sauce will thicken. Gradually add the water, blending thoroughly. Then add the lemon juice. Blend well.

Note: This can be a thin or thick sauce, depending upon the use and preference. Simply adjust with lemon juice and water. This can be used with vegetables or in combination with other recipes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

TIPS from Lori: In regards to falafel, I have made it many times & it has always fallen apart on me. I usually end up putting an egg in it as a binder. This time I am not, come what may, because I know others have had success without egg. I will say if you do not want to go the deep fry route, you can place little mounds in a muffin tin & do it up in the oven at about 375F. But the oil really does something magical to them. Again, your choice. Don’t you just love all the choices this month?

You are not required to do Tahini Sauce, it is just a suggestion. Also the chickpea flour can be found at Indian Markets (called Besan there) & Italian Markets & Health Food Stores.

The fries were good & I usually love falafel, but this was not my favorite recipe. Hubby does not like falafel & this did not convert him. I actually liked the falafel better crumbled over a large salad. M-I-L really liked the fries!  I do love all things chickpeas & both of these were good, just not great.

     As I continue to bake my way through my double challenges of past DB challenges, I have come across one right up my alley, challenge 13 that was originally given in November 2007. What is it do you ask? Why, Tender Potato Bread! I am a HUGE bread lover, so any bread is worthy to be made. This recipe is easy to make & the dough is heavenly to work with. The host for this challenge was Tanna from My Kitchen in Half Cups. We had to make the recipe as is (savory, not sweet), up until shaping, then we had some choices. We also had to knead by hand (the only way worthy of a good bread baking day, although, I do use my kitchen aid sometimes).

On to the recipe:

Tender Potato Bread (from Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid; who also wrote Hot Sour Salty Sweet)

Makes 1 large tender-crumbed pan loaf AND something more; one 10X15“ crusty yet tender focaccia, 12 soft dinner rolls, or a small pan

Suggested Toppings:

For Loaves & Rolls: melted butter (optional)

For Foccacia: olive oil, coarse salt, & rosemary leaves (optional; also see variation)

For Anchovy-Onion Focaccia: Instead of oil, salt, & rosemary, top with onions slow-cooked in olive oil or bacon fat, a scattering of chopped anchovy fillets, & flat-leafed parsley leaves.

Alternate fillings, seasons, shapes are up to you.

Some additional notes about this challenge, recipe & the dough: If you are new to bread & already your whisks are shaking (or is that your boots), you may bake the bread (or one of it’s variations) just as written.

Potatoes & potato water give this bread wonderful flavor & texture. The dough is very soft & moist & might feel a little scary if you’ve never handled soft dough before. But don’t worry: Leaving it on parchment or wax paper to proof & to bake makes it easy to handle.

Once baked, the crumb is tender & airy, with tiny soft pieces of potato in it & a fine flecking of whole wheat. The loaves have a fabulous crisp texture on the outside & a slightly flat-topped shape. They make great toast & tender yet strong sliced bread for sandwiches. The dinner rolls are soft & inviting, & the focaccia is memorable. I have chosen this recipe because it gives directions for different ways of shaping the dough & provides oven times & temperatures for those variations.

Some Notes about Flour: King Arthur Artisan Organic All-Purpose Flour is fairly new in the markets in the US now & is advertised to be best for making European-style hearth breads with a protein level of 11.3%

Conversion Chart for yeast: 1 TBSP fresh yeast = 1 ¼ tsp active or instant dry yeast = 1 tsp instant or rapid rise (bread machine) yeast.

Reference: Crust & Crumb by Peter Reinhart

4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks.

Tanna Note: For the beginner bread baker I suggest no more than 8 oz of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 oz. The variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet; Yukon gold, there are others. I used 16 oz

4 cups water, reserve cooking water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened I used Earth Balance

1 cup whole wheat flour

Making the Dough (Directions will be for making by hand): Put the potatoes & 4 cups water in a sauce pan & bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt & cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, & mash the potatoes well. Tanna Note: I have a food mill I will run my potatoes through to mash them. Measure out 3 cups of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water & mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in. Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F) – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix & not be uncomfortable. Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour & whisk. Add yeast & flour to the cooled mashed potatoes; water & mix well. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Note about Adding Yeast: If using Active Dry Yeast or Fresh yeast, mix; stir yeast into cooled water & mashed potatoes; water & let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix & allow to rest several minutes. If using Instant Dry Yeast, add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour & whisk. Add yeast & flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water & mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt & the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly. Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour & stir until all the flour has been incorporated. Tanna Note: At this point you have used 4 cups of the possible 8 ½ cups suggested by the recipe.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface & knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, & let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface & knead gently several minutes. It will be moist & a little sticky.

Forming the Bread: Tanna Note: It is at this point you are requested to Unleash the Daring Baker within. The following is as the recipe is written. You are now free to follow as written or push it to a new level. Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third & two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side & cover loosely.

To shape the large loaf: Butter a 9 x 5 x 2 ½“ loaf/bread pan. Flatten the larger piece of dough on the floured surface to an approximate 12 x 8“ oval, then roll it up from a narrow end to form a loaf. Pinch the seam closed & gently place seam side down in the buttered pan. The dough should come about ¾ of the way up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy & almost doubled in volume.

To make a small loaf with the remainder: Butter an 8×4X2“ bread pan. Shape & proof the loaf the same way as the large loaf.

To make rolls: Butter a 13×9“ sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand & place on the baking sheet, leaving ½“ between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap & let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy & almost doubled.

To make focaccia: Flatten out the dough to a rectangle about 10×15“ with your palms & fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper or wax paper a little longer than the dough & dust it generously with flour. Transfer the focaccia to the paper. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil, sprinkle on a little coarse sea salt, as well as some rosemary leaves, if you wish & then finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic & let rise for 20 minutes.

Baking the bread(s): Note about baking order: bake the flat-bread before you bake the loaf; bake the rolls at the same time as the loaf.

Note about Baking Temps: I believe that 450°F is going to prove to be too hot for the either the large or small loaf of bread for the entire 40-50 minutes. I am going to put the loaves in at 450° for 10 minutes & then turn the oven down to 375°F for the remaining time.

Note about cooling times: Let all the breads cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.

For loaves & rolls: Dust risen loaves & rolls with a little all-purpose flour or lightly brush the tops with a little melted butter or olive oil (the butter will give a golden/browned crust). Slash loaves crosswise two or three times with a razor blade or very sharp knife & immediately place on the stone, tiles or baking sheet in the oven. Place the rolls next to the loaf in the oven. Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes. Bake the small loaf for about 40 minutes. Bake the large loaf for about 50 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans & place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched & the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

For focaccia: Place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, if not use a no edged baking/sheet (you want to be able to slide the shaped dough on the parchment paper onto the stone or baking sheet & an edge complicates things). Place the stone or cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven & preheat to 450°F/230°C. If making focaccia, just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone, tiles or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) & let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

I made a large loaf, small loaf, 4 burger buns & 6 dinner rolls.

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.

Linda & Courtney say, “Making strudel dough has been on my personal baking to-do list for quite a while but I was always kind of scared to actually try making the paper thin dough. And as being a Daring Baker means challenging yourself, making strudel dough seemed like the perfect recipe for this month’s challenge. Not a lot of rules this month as we’re allowing you complete freedom for the filling & shaping of the dough. The only thing that’s mandatory for everybody who’s participating in this month’s challenge, is to make the strudel dough. Hopefully this will suit both the sweet & savoury DB-ers Of course you’re welcome to make the traditional apple strudel that you’ll find below but wouldn’t it be so much more fun & challenging to try something completely different? We’d love to see you get creative!”

  Okay, not so pretty, but it sure tasted good.
My first thought was, “Oh, I really don’t like cooked apples, but strudel sounds like a great challenge.” Then, I kept reading ,”Ooo, we get to fill it with whatever we want, yeah!” I had a hard time trying to decide what I wanted to fill it with. I thought rhubarb, but decided to make a pie with the 10 beautiful stalks I was given from a friend of someone who picked them from her garden! My next thought was blueberry strudel, but then I went to a wine bar & was reading through their desserts & saw a Calzone filled with nutella & bananas. That was the one! You can find the original recipe here: http://thedaringkitchen.com/  Check out everyone else’s amazing creations here: http://thedaringkitchen.com/blogroll/bakers

Preparation time for the recipe
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 & stretch dough

10 min to fill & roll dough

30 min to bake

30 min to cool

Almond“ella” & Banana Strudel

1 cup chocolate almond spread (from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)
1 banana, in half lengthwise, then quartered

¼ cup chocolate chips
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
strudel dough (recipe below)

1. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven & preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread the chocolate almond spread over the dough, about a ½” from the edge. Place the bananas over the top of the chocolate almond spread. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips & cinnamon.

2. 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.

3. 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 & serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

I found that it tasted just as good the next day. I also found that I should have used 2 bananas and about ¼ cup more almond“ella”.

  The dough came out great, flaky & crispy.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest & Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup bread flour
1/8 tsp salt
7 TBSP water, plus more if needed
2 TBSP warm water, mixed with 2 tsp ground flax seeds
½ tsp cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour & salt in a bowl. Mix the water, flax mixture & vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water mixture to the flour while stirring. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary. Turn the dough out onto a large surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough & throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally. Shape the dough into a ball & transfer it to a plate. 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“ round table or a work surface of 23 x 38“. Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour & rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle & 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 & gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch & 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 & stretch & pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch & pull the dough until it’s about 2′ wide & 3′ 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 from Courtney & Linda
- Ingredients are cheap so we would recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling & stretching of the dough with the first batch & if it doesn’t come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try;
- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyster;
- Before pulling & stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands & wrists, & wear short-sleeves;
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table;
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.

Both Courtney & I did a trial run on making the strudel. Below are our notes:

Courtney’s notes
- I couldn’t get it to stretch to 2′ by 3′, it turned out more like 2′ by 2′. But the dough was tissue thin nevertheless;
- I got some serious holes, but after rolling it wasn’t noticeable;
- I used a large cheese cloth which helped manipulate & stretch the dough more than a heavier cloth would have.

Linda’s notes
- I made the dough by hand, just mixed the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Kneaded it for about 5 min like you would bread dough. This worked as well. Haven’t tried using a standmixer so I don’t know how it compares.
- Instead of cider vinegar I used red wine vinegar;
- I used bread flour
- Picking up the dough to let it stretch didn’t work well for me, holes appeared pretty much instantly. Instead I stretched the dough while it was lying on the tablecloth by putting my hands underneath & stretching it out further & further

  Yes, I have joined another group! The Daring Cooks. The Daring Bakers have branched off into the savory & I jumped at the chance (I know, like I need one more thing to do). So, what is the amazing first challenge?

Ricotta Gnocchi!

Our hosts this month are none other than our fearless leaders: Ivonne of http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/ and Lisa of http://llcskitchen.blogspot.com/

They chose a recipe from the stunning cookbook by Judy Rodgers, named after her restaurant, The Zuni Café Cookbook.

“On the surface, this is a very straightforward recipe. The challenge is in the forming & handling of the gnocchi. What you do with the recipe, in terms of variations, is up to you.”

For those of us that are Alternative Daring Cooks , Shelly from Musings From The Fishbowl is here to lead us, encourage us, & answer our questions. Thank you so much Shelly! On to the recipe:

Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi

Source: From The Zuni Café Cookbook.

Yield: Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6) mine made about 30

Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take approximately 1 hour.

Tips:

- If you can find it, use fresh ricotta. As Judy Rodgers advises in her recipe, there is no substitute for fresh ricotta. It may be a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it.
- Do not skip the draining step. Even if the fresh ricotta doesn’t look very wet, it is. Draining the ricotta will help your gnocchi tremendously.
- When shaping your gnocchi, resist the urge to over handle them. It’s okay if they look a bit wrinkled or if they’re not perfectly smooth.
- If you’re not freezing the gnocchi for later, cook them as soon as you can. If you let them sit around too long they may become a bit sticky.
- For the variations to the challenge recipe, please see the end of the recipe.

Equipment required:

- Sieve didn’t use
- Cheesecloth or paper towels didn’t use
- Large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Tablespoon
- Baking dish or baking sheet
- Wax or parchment paper used a silpat
- Small pot didn’t use
- Large skillet used 2 small ones
- Large pan or pot (very wide in diameter & at least 2“ deep)

For the gnocchi:

1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups) used 1 lb super firm tofu
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten used Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter used 1 tsp
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional) used basil & nutmeg
½ oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed) used nutritional yeast
about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)
all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce: didn’t use, used homemade spinach pesto & a store bought mushroom marinara

8 tablespoons (227 grams/¼ pound/4 oz) butter, sliced
2 teaspoons water

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.

If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so & place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels & place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it & let it drain for at least 8 hours & up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) & suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

I skipped this step & made it all on the same day.

For the ricotta, I used the Basil Tofu Ricotta from Vegan With A Vengance. I highly recommend this recipe, it was great! I followed Shelly’s advice & added ¼ cup of vital wheat gluten to the tofu mixture, it really helped to hold it together.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.

To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible. (didn’t drain or press the tofu, just used super firm, as is)

Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.

Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter & add it to the ricotta mixture. only used 1 tsp

Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine. used basil & nutmeg

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano & the salt.

Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft & fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.

When forming the gnocchi using tofu, you don’t have to be gentle with it at all. You need to use a firm hand. I didn’t test one, just dropped them all in (I was hungry). I used a 1 TBSP cookie scoop, dropped into flour, & shaped.

Fill a small pot with water & bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously & keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together & that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.

In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½” deep.

With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl & form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.

Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter & then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.

At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi & cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour & plump.

Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink & then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.

If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter & beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.

Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them.

Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper & dust it with flour.

You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.

Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter & water for the sauce in the skillet & set aside.

In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other.

Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.

Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi).

When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.

To sauce the cooked gnocchi, I added the pesto to one small skillet & the marinara to another, then just dropped the drained gnocchi into the sauces & gently stirred. It is best to let it sit a bit, to let it firm up.

Place the skillet over medium heat & melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts & is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now.

With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water & gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Variations: For the gnocchi, you can flavour them however you wish. If you want to experiment by adding something to your gnocchi (i.e., caramelized onion, sundried tomato), feel free to do so. However, be forewarned, ricotta gnocchi are delicate & may not take well to elaborate additions. For the sauce, this is your chance to go nuts. Enjoy yourselves. Surprise us!!!

Freezing the gnocchi: If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them & freeze them. Once they are formed & resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air & seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag & place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.

Verdict: I was a little nervous about the texture. I have had things with vital wheat gluten in them before that hasn’t set up & the texture was awful!!! So, I was a little nervous, but I had nothing to worry about, it was great! I let it sit for about 15 minutes before we ate it. My hubby actually had 2 helpings, that is saying something. I liked the pesto better, hubby liked the marinara. Thanks to Ivonne & Lisa for this great challenge & to Shelly for all the great tips! I served this with a side salad & some baked pita chips.

April’s Challenge went classic: Coq Au Vin

This recipe is from Anthony Bourdain’s cookbook Les Halles

Now, I know that Anthony Bourdain is no lover of anything or anyone vegan/vegetarian, but I still love, love, love watching his show No Reservations on the travel channel. He speaks his mind, no wishy washy talk here. Needlwss to say, no matter what the recipe was for this month, if it was from Tony, I was hooked. I loved what our host this month, Temperance,
had to say, “I have never had a cookbook swear at me before or call me names, I quite enjoyed it. What i also enjoyed was the fact he didn’t assume I knew what I was doing but still expected me to do it right (after all he was telling me exactly what to do).”

She goes on to say that “Coq au vin is a peasant recipe, As Anthony Bourdain has said ‘Coq au vin is an old, tough bird you have to drown in wine to get it to taste good. That’ll be $28.95 please.’ This it one of those recipes that is deceptively hard, with a little prep work it is easy as pie, maybe even easier. The secret is the mise en place. do it all ahead stuff it in the fridge & throw it all together when you are ready.

Excerpt from the Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain…
Another easy dish that looks like it is hard. It is not in fact, this is the kind of dish you might enjoy spending a leisurely afternoon with. There are plenty of opportunities for breaks. It’s durable, delicious, & the perfect illustration of the principles of turning something big & tough & unlovely into something truly wonderful. Knock out your prep one thing at a time, slowly building your mise en place. Listen to some music while you do it. There’s an open bottle of wine left from the recipe, so have a glass now & again. Just clean up after yourself as you go, so your kitchen doesn’t look like a disaster area when you start the actual cooking. You should. with any luck, reach a Zen-like state of pleasurable calm. And like the very best dishes coq a vin is one of those that goes on the stove looking, smelling & tasting pretty nasty, and yet later, through the mysterious alchemical processes of time and heat turns into something magical.

Coq au vin (I halved the recipe)
from the  Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain, Serves 4

1 bottle plus 1 cup red wine I used The Other red wine (around $8.99 at World Market, not cheap, but tastes amazing!)
1 onion, cut into a 1-inch dice
1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 celery rib, cut into ½ inch slices
4 whole cloves I wasn’t sure if this was whole cloves or garlic, I used garlic)
1 tbs/14 g whole black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lb, “trimmed” – meaning guts, wing tips & neckbone removed I used chicken style seitan
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbs/28 ml olive oil omitted
6 tbs/75 g butter, softened Earth balance, but only 1 TBSP
1 tbs/14 g flour
¼ lb/112 g lardons tempeh “bacon”
½ lb/ 225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed I used dried shiitake
12 pearl onions, peeled
pinch of sugar

Equipment:
3 large, deep bowls
plastic wrap
fine strainer
large Dutch oven or heavy –bottomed pot
tongs
wooden spoon
small sauté pan
small sauce pan
1 sheet parchment paper
whisk
deep serving platter

DAY ONE
The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that’s the big onion, not the pearl onions), sliced carrots, celery, cloves, peppercorns, & bouquet garni in a large deep bowl. Add the chicken & submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO
Remove the chicken from the marinade & pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids & solids separately. Season the chicken with salt & pepper inside & out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil & 2 tablesppoons of the butter until almost smoking, & then sear the chicken, turning it with the tongs to evenly brown it. Once browned, it should be removed from the pot & set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, & carrot to the pot & cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft & golden brown. That should take about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables & mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour & 15 minutes over low heat. Have a drink. You’re almost there…

While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan & drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Saute the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, & 2 tablespoons of butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions; then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size of the pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, & cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover & continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Set the onions aside & add the remaining cup of red wine along with salt & pepper & reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing & then it’s wine & kudos…

When the chicken is cooked through – meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked – carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, & arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, & pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper, & swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken & dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles & a Bourgone Rouge.

Tips:
1. An old bird is best, hard to find though. Ideally you are looking for a stew chicken or an old rooster, I recommend a Kosher or Halal meat market (remember they have no pork though).
2. Bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with string, most recipes include parsley, thyme & bay leaf
3. Lardon may refer to different pork products cut from a pig’s belly & used for larding in French cuisine. In this case you are looking for slab or country bacon, cut into small oblongs (lardons) about ¼ by 1“. I used salt pork, which did not smell like bacon cooking but tasted pretty good. Either way a good thick bacon with alot of nice fat & not alot of additives is what you are looking for.
4. the wine should be red, other than that pick what suits your pallet & wallet. But here is a helpful guide as well, Wine With…Coq au Vin

Further tips, tricks & things to help the budget:
- Frozen pearl onions are cheap, easy & just as good as the ones you peel yourself (though nothing beats homegrown)

- Instead of buying 2 bottles of wine to get 1 liter & 1 cup wine use water for the extra cup.
- Instead of using a whole chicken get precut chicken so you can do portion control (it will also make it easier to marinade)
- don’t use non stick pan, this recipe is all about the brown bits.
- when marinading, you might want to weigh the chicken down to keep it covered.
- If you go to a Halal market take pictures if you can’t speak the language.

I totally forgot to get the mushrooms, so luckily I had some dried shiitake’s in the pantry. I served mine with noodles & broccoli.

Verdict: We both really liked this one. The one change I would make next time would be to just leave the seitan out, it didn’t really add much. I used to make a dish called Balsamic Chicken with Thyme that was pretty similar to this. I would make it again.

Here is the recipe: http://recipestorival.blogspot.com/2009/04/coq-au-vin-aprils-challenge.html

Check out everyone else’s results here: http://recipestorival.blogspot.com/

What was my double challenge for April?

BOSTINI CREAM PIE

Huh? It’s not a typo. Bostini cream pie is a twist on the traditional Boston cream pie. The dessert is vanilla custard topped with an orange chiffon cake & then drizzled with a chocolate glaze. The Boston cream pie is my m-i-l’s favorite desserts. The recipe is from a restaurant that was later printed in the SF Chronicle newspaper.

We were able to play with the size of the dessert as well as being able to halve the recipe, which I did. We could also use a different custard recipe to make it vegan. This challenge was originally done in October 2007 Challenge #12 Hostess: Mary of Alpineberry.

Bostini Cream Pie (from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni & Scala’s Bistro)

Makes 8 generous servings

I used the pastry cream recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking

Custard

3/4 cup whole milk

2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 whole egg, beaten

9 egg yolks, beaten

3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean (EDITED: vanilla extract is okay)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour ¾ cup cake flour

3/4 cup superfine sugar ¼ + 1/8 cup sugar

1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder ¾ tsp baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt pinch salt

1/3 cup canola oil 1/6 cup applesauce

1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks) 1/6 cup soy yogurt

3/4 cup fresh orange juice ¼ cup + 1 TBSP orange juice

1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest 1 TBSP grand marnier

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup egg whites (about 8 large) ½ cup warm water mixed with 4 TBSP egg replacer

1 teaspoon cream of tartar ½ tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze I used a chocolate powdered sugar frosting, cuz I didn’t have any chocolate, can you believe it?!?

8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate

8 ounces unsalted butter

To prepare the custard: Combine the milk & cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg & yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean & sugar in a saucepan & carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard & pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the chiffon cakes: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder & salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest & vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar & beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven & let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the glaze: Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan & heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate & stir to melt. Pour through a strainer & keep warm.

To assemble: Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.