Celebrating 2018 with Tiny Stuffed Birds

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! For my special holiday meal, I decided to fill two Cornish hens with a wild rice stuffing and glaze them with something fruity. Of course, the tradition is to eat things that have lots of small pieces on New Year's Day to symbolize coins or acquiring wealth in the coming year--usually black-eyed peas--but why not grains of rice and a side of green peas?

This was my menu:
Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Cornish Hens with Chorizo and Wild Rice Stuffing
Lemony Green Peas
Brownie Macadamia Sundaes

For the stuffing, I used two boxes of Near East Long Grain and Wild Rice. In the IP liner, I sautéed a large chopped onion, two chopped stalks of celery, and two minced cloves of garlic in two tablespoons of butter with two links of chorizo, casing removed and chopped. When the veggies were tender, I added a tablespoon of poultry seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper to the mixture. I poured in the two boxes of rice, the seasoning packets, and three cups of water. I cooked this on manual for six minutes, then let it release naturally. I cooled the rice stuffing before filling the cavities of the two hens. I put the excess stuffing in an 8x8 baking dish and covered it with foil.

After filling the hens, I trusted them with kitchen twine. I smeared the tops with softened butter and sprinkled them liberally with an herb seasoning blend. I baked them at 350 for about an hour and fifteen minutes until a meat thermometer told me they were done. About 20-30 minutes before that, I glazed them with a mixture of 1/2 cup orange marmalade, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of sriracha. I also put the extra pan of stuffing in the oven at the same time as I glazed the little birds.

For the peas, I steamed a large bag of frozen green peas for two minutes in the IP, then stirred in two tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon or so of Italian vinaigrette, a half teaspoon each of granulated garlic and lemon pepper, and the juice of a small lemon.

Cheesecake Tip

I wanted to make a cheesecake in my magic pot for my Christmas dessert, but I had such trouble with a very lumpy batter (even with the ingredients at room temp). I beat it in the stand mixer, whisked it by hand, whisked it again in the stand mixer, and nearly threw it across the room in frustration, as it just would not smooth out! Finally, in desperation, I took my handheld immersion blender to the batter...and it worked like a charm. And despite my fears that I had whipped a lot of air into the cheesecake, it turned out PERFECTLY dense, creamy, and silky—the best one I’ve ever made! Just thought I’d share that tip. Next to the Instant Pot, it's my favorite kitchen gadget. Stick blender FTW!

IP Gluten-Free, Low(er) Carb Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/4 cups almond meal (or your favorite nut, very finely chopped--I used pecan meal this time)
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar or stevia (or half of each)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
good pinch of salt

Mix all of the above together and press into the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan that has been sprayed or greased then lined with a circle of parchment. Place the pan with the formed crust in the freezer while you make the cheesecake batter.

Filling:
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of a lemon
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar or stevia (or half of each)
2 whole eggs plus one egg yolk

In a stand mixer, blend the softened cream cheese, cream, vanilla paste, salt, and lemon zest until very, very smooth. Add the sugar/sweetener, and blend again until smooth. Add one egg at a time, blending well after each addition. Pour the filling into the chilled crust.

Cover the pan with two layers of paper towel then secure with one layer of foil over the top. Form a sling out of an addition piece of foil, folding it over twice. Put the trivet in the Instant Pot and pour in two cups of hot water. Lower the cheesecake into the pot very carefully using the foil sling. Fold the edges of the sling over so that they do not interfere with the lid closing. Set to manual/high pressure for 40 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then quick release.

Using the foil sling, lift the cheesecake from the pot. Remove the foil and paper towels from the top. If there is condensation on top of the cheesecake, blot it gently with a paper towel.

Topping:
Mix together about a cup of sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon or so of vanilla, and a teaspoon or two of sugar or sweetener (to taste). Pour the sour cream topping over the hot cheesecake, then refrigerate for six hours or overnight before serving.

Christmas with a French Twist

My dear office mate and friend, Lee Ann, very kindly invited me for Christmas dinner this year, and it was truly an incredible feast! Her husband and daughter took a trip to France this year, so the theme of the dinner was decidedly French. I asked the hostess what I could bring, but she didn't text me back until this morning...after all of the shops were closed. Of course, she said I didn't have to bring anything, but my momma raised me right. Under duress, she said I could bring a salad or vegetable. The problem was that I had to make due with what I had on hand, and keep in mind, the culinary theme of the dinner is FRENCH! YIKES!

So I went searching, and found a (frozen) head of cauliflower in the garage fridge, and I still have kale left from the garden (you heard me!), and I always have bacon. So I steamed the cauliflower florets in my magic pot, and then made a creamy, cheesy, mashed cauliflower and kale gratin with smoky bacon bits. Anything "gratin" is French, right?  I think the kale and bacon make it look Christmassy with the red and green bits, non? (This picture is before I topped it with panko and more cheese.)

Here is a more detailed description of my methodology: First, I Googled how others steam a cauliflower in the IP and did that (four minutes on steam mode in a wire basket over a cup of water). While the cauliflower was cooking, I browned some bacon on the stove, removed it, and then sautéed a couple of cups of chopped kale in a few tablespoons of the bacon fat. 

When the cauliflower was done, I drained it and mashed it in the pot with four tablespoons of butter, four oz. of cream cheese, half a cup of shredded Swiss cheese, seasoned salt, pepper, one teaspoon of dried thyme, a half teaspoon of granulated garlic, and a grating of nutmeg. Then I stirred in the sautéed kale and about eight pieces of the cooked bacon (chopped). I put this mixture in a casserole dish, topped with half a cup of panko tossed with another couple tablespoons of Swiss cheese, and dash of garlic powder. I baked this uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes, and then topped it with another two slices of crumbled bacon before serving. VOILA!

 The Christmas dinner guests all assembled.

The appetizer was French onion soup...with a homemade bread crouton.

 Homemade French bread.

 The Christmas feast!

 Three French, err, Cornish hens.

 Lamb chops and mashed potatoes.

Asparagus with Hollandaise.

 Spinach souffle and my cauliflower kale mash.

 Roasted leeks and fennel.

 Cream puffs.

Crepes made to order with sugar, berries, and/or Nutella.

 Pear amandine tart.

 A toast to the memory of loved ones.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Porchmas 2016

I have an amazing group of young friends that used to all live in this two-story house that had a glassed-in sun porch on the upper level. We had so many good times on that porch, that even though everyone has moved out of that residence now, we still refer to ourselves as "Porchlings" when we have our get-togethers. Likewise, our seasonal gift exchange and potluck is dubbed "Porchmas." Tee hee.

For my first culinary contribution, I made Pulled Pork Sliders with Homemade Pickled Green Tomatoes.

For the pulled pork, I marinated about three pounds of boneless ribs in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable oil, sriracha, garlic powder and black pepper overnight. Then I browned them on all sides in a large skillet, placed them on the trivet along with a sliced onion over a cup of beef broth, and cooked them on "Meat" for 25 minutes. I let them sit for 10 or 15 minutes before releasing, then shredded the meat with two forks. I sprinkled the shredded meat with a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar, added a few drops of liquid smoke, a big tablespoon of grainy mustard, and a small bottle of spicy honey barbecue sauce. I served the pulled pork on Hawaiian rolls with homemade pickled green tomatoes.

Pickled Green Tomatoes
(Source: Garden Betty)

Bring the following brine (per quart) to a boil:
1 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Place in a washed quart jar:

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dill seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Slice the tomatoes to desired thickness and pack into the jar. Cover with hot brine, leaving a half inch of head space. Remove bubbles with the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick, wipe the rim, and add a lid and ring (fingertip tighten only). Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place. Wait 3-4 weeks before tasting.

My second potluck offering was my old standby, potato salad prepared quickly and easily in the magic pot (four minutes!), which I made a little more festive-looking by including some of my homemade red-and-green cucumber relish that I made this summer/fall. (It was the Year of Peppers and Cucumbers!)

Instant Pot Potato Salad

3 lbs. red potatoes (I peel mine, but you can leave the peels on if you prefer), cut into one-inch chunks
4 large eggs
about 1/2 cup chopped green onions (four large, ends removed)
2 tablespoons sweet relish (I use homemade piccallili or cucumber or pepper relish)
1 large dill pickle, chopped (and about a tablespoon of juice)
about 3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard (I like to use one yellow and one Dijon)
1 teaspoon ground celery
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
salt and pepper, to taste (I like to use Cajun seasoning for more "zip")

In a steamer basket over 1 1/2 cups water (I like to use 1 1/4 cups water plus 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to infuse the potatoes with some tanginess) put in the potato chunks with the whole eggs on top. Cook on manual/high for four minutes, then immediately release. Spread the potato pieces out on a cookie sheet to cool, and dunk the eggs into cold water until cool enough to handle.

Peel and chop the eggs. Mix together green onions, relish, chopped dill pickle and pickle juice, mayo, mustard, ground celery and granulated garlic. Toss in the slightly warm potatoes, using a potato masher or pastry cutter to create a texture like very chunky mashed potatoes, then fold in the chopped eggs. Season to taste. Chill thoroughly, then serve.

Cucumber Pickle Relish
(Source: Ball Blue Book)

4 cups chopped cucumbers
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (or hot peppers)
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Combine cucumbers, onions, red peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand two hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly

Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer ten minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes (15 for pints) in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: About four pints 

Lastly, for Christmukkah treats, I made three batches of the beloved matzoh toffee, so that I could bag it up as little gifts. And as we are going through a very early cold snap, I was able to use my own porch as a blast chiller for both the potato salad and the matzoh toffee before the party. Ha ha.

Christmas in Brazil

If there was ever a good excuse to get back to my long-neglected blog, it would be the annual Padula Christmas Cookie EXTRAVAGANZA! Because one of the Padula boys has a Brazilian girlfriend, this year's culinary theme was Christmas in Brazil, and it was DELICIOUS!

View #1 of the cookie exchange table. (My cookies aren't pictured, as they were on the porch chillin',)

View #2 of the cookie table.

The beautiful tablescape!

The appetizer was this Brazilian shepherd's pie type of affair with reconstituted carne seca (dried beef) and veggies underneath and mashed yucca root on top called Escondidinho de Carne Seca. Yucca is a staple in Brazilian cuisine.

These were yummy little chicken-filled croquettes called Coxinhas.

Apparently, the Christmas turkey (Ceia de Natal) is traditionally served with peaches. YUMMY!

The turkey was served with rice and black beans and Brazilian hot sauce, and a fruity bread stuffing.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this dried fruit-studded bread stuffing, but it was SO GOOD! I'm not sure what it's called in Portuguese, though.

This is called Farofa, and it's toasted cassava flour. It's sprinkled on everything in South America, like Parmesan cheese.

For my money, this dessert was the star of the show! It's called a Torta de Bombom Sonho de Valsa, or Bonbon Pie. AMAZING! Here's the recipe:
http://www.cynthiapresser.com/recipe-blog/desserts/358-bonbon-pie-torta-de-bombom-sonho-de-valsa

The other dessert (which I did not have room for, but looked incredible) was a Passion Fruit Cheesecake. (Passion fruit, or maracuja, is another Brazilian culinary motif.)

I made three different (rather homely, but very tasty) cookies for the exchange this year, inspired by a holiday baking show I saw on the Food Network recently. The first was a soft maple bacon cookie that was supposed to be a whoopie pie, but I ended up just frosting the individual cookies so that I'd have more to share.

Maple Pecan Cookies (or Whoopie Pies) with Bacon Cream Cheese Frosting
(Source: Adapted from Poet in the Pantry)
 
Filling/Frosting:
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cookies/Cakes:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons bacon fat, reserved from frying bacon for the filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 cup dark maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Filling:
Fry bacon until crisp and reserve and cool the fat.
Crumble (or cut with kitchen shears) bacon and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar for three minutes. Add the vanilla, syrup, and salt. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the crumbled bacon. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Cookies/Cakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Get out two rimmed nonstick cookie sheets and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter, bacon fat, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk, mixing until smooth.

In a liquid measuring cup, add the cream, baking soda, and white vinegar, stirring to combine. Turn the stand mixer on low and mix in half of the dry ingredients. Add the cream/baking soda vinegar mix, mixing until combined. Mix in the last of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the toasted nuts.

Portion out the batter with a small cookie scoop and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and the tops are springy. Transfer to wire cooling racks immediately. Cool completely.

Assembly
Remove filling from the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting assembly. Stir before starting assembly. Using a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, or simply a butter knife, apply filling on the flat side of one cookie/cake. Press the flat side of another cookie/cake and press gently together.

Wrap each whoopie pie in a small piece of plastic wrap store and in an air-tight container. Best eaten the same day. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator.

*You can also just frost the top of each individual cookie (as I did here) instead of making whoopie pies.

The second cookie I made was a sour cream cookie infused with Earl Grey tea and frosted with a honeyed lemony icing. YUM!

Earl Grey Tea Cakes with Honey-Lemon Frosting

(Adapted from a sour cream chocolate chip cookie recipe that my friend, Kallie, gave me--unsure of the original source)
Cookies:
1 cup sour cream
2 bags Earl Grey tea
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Mix the sour cream and the tea from the two bags and set aside.

 Cream butter and eggs together. Add sugar and mix in. Add baking soda, baking powder and flour. Add vanilla and sour cream and tea mixture. Bake at 350° until lightly browned (10-12 minutes). Cool completely before frosting.

Honeyed Lemon Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 pound (about 2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
zest of one lemon, finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in half of the sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and honey. Beat in the remaining sugar. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, whisk on high for 6 minutes.

The third cookie that I made--and my personal favorite--was a Rosemary Browned Butter Shortbread. Now, I am ALWAYS down with some nutty browned butter, but savory rosemary was an unusual guest at this sweet cookie party. It may sound strange, but applied with restraint, the rosemary takes this shortbread to a whole other level of deliciousness! I was loathe to give (most of it) away.

Rosemary-Walnut Browned Butter Shortbread

(Source: The Kitchn)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped small (none larger than pea-sized)--or combine walnuts and almonds
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioner sugar (or another 1/4 cup granulated, if you don't have confectioner's)

Melt the butter in a medium sauce-pan or skillet over medium heat. Swirl occasionally and cook until all foaming has subsided, the butter is dark tan colored with little black specks, and smells fantastically nutty. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let it cool to room temperature. (The butter should be solid but still smooshy.)

Mix the walnuts, rosemary, and all the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer). While beating on medium-speed, add the cooled brown butter in several additions until it's completely incorporated and the dough looks grainy. The dough should hold together when you press some in your fist - if not, add a few teaspoons of cold water until it does.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape it into two thick logs about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter (or smaller if you want smaller cookies). The dough will be pretty crumbly, but that's ok. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until hard (30 minutes, or up to three days).

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take out and unwrap one of the logs. Slice it into 1/4 inch round cookies using a sharp knife and transfer to the cookie sheet. Place cookies about a half inch apart - they won't spread much during baking. If any of the cookies crumble, just press the dough back together with your fingers and a bit of water.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and very fragrant. Allow to cool five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Prepare and bake the other half of the cookie dough as above. Cookies keep in a sealed container for about two weeks.

A New Holiday Classic Pops Up

There has been this Tip Hero video going around Facebook for a caramel and chocolate-drizzled popcorn that looked so easy and so good, that I just had to try and make it myself. Actually, I made it for some friends for a post-holiday get-together and gift exchange, and now I think I might make it every year! It would certainly be perfect for a treat for my work colleagues...or just for ME! Mwa-ha-ha!

Holiday Popcorn
(Source: Tip Hero)

To make the popcorn:
2/3 cup popcorn kernels
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or 6 T)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot with a lid over med heat. Add three or four of the kernels to the pot and put the lid on.
2. When they pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels and put the lid on again. Immediately remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds. (This is to ensure the kernels are all about the same temperature so that they will pop almost at the same time).
3. Put the popcorn back on the burner, shaking the pot back and forth. It should take about two minutes for the popcorn to pop without burning or leaving too many spare kernels. When it takes several seconds between pops, it’s ready.
4. Immediately pour into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. This should make about 12 cups of popped popcorn.

To make the caramel corn:
12 cups popped popcorn
2 cups almonds (also good: peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (6 oz) salted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup 60% chocolate chips
2 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Heat the oven to 250F.
2. Once the popcorn is made, combine the following ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat: brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Stir while the butter and sugar melt together and let the mixture come to a boil, about eight minutes, then let it boil for two minutes.
3. Stir in the baking soda and remove the pan from the burner.
4. Put the popcorn and the nuts in a large bowl and pour the sauce over and mix well. Line two half-sheet pans with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Divide the popcorn mixture between the two trays.
5. Bake 60 minutes, stirring each pan every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
6. Put the choc chips and vegetable oil in a bowl or microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave 50% power two to three minutes, stirring every 45 sec or so, until completely melted.
7. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the caramel corn on both pans. Let the pans sit at room temperature for three to four hours while the caramel corn cools down and the chocolate sets, then break apart into clusters.

Christmas Cookie Swap 2015: Christmas in Russia

I never feel like the semester is over and it's truly winter break until the Padulas' Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange is upon us. And every year, Janice and Domenica seem to raise the bar, and the event gets more and more fabulous! For 2015, the theme was Christmas in Russia, and it was amazing. BEHOLD the photographic evidence thereof.

From top to bottom, you can see:
1) The gorgeous table setting
2) Hello from the other side
3) This year's cookie assortment (with my favorite milk from Vermont)
4) Roasted Marrow Bones with Onion, Caper, and Dill Relish, Cornichons, and Rye Bread
5) Beef Pirozhki
6) Left to right: Kutya (traditional Christmas wheat berry pudding), Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche, Caviar, and Fresh Dill, a Russian caramel, and a cookie shaped and decorated like a mushroom
7) Ukrainian Beef Borscht
8) The co-host's boyfriend...and kitchen help, Marcus! :-)
9) A dish with salmon, mushrooms, rice and crepes inside pastry with a beautiful wreath design on top--I think it's called Kulebyaka
10) Inside the Kulebyaka and a potato pancake stuffed with meat and mushrooms called Kolduny
11) Russian Honeycomb Cake
12) Inside the incredible cake: Puff pastry, cream, tart cherries, and dark chocolate ganache
13) Slice of the cake
14) The packaged cookies (and my friend, June and Martie, chit-chatting--which is the best part of the party, of course)