Beigli

When I was a kid, my grandmother would make beigli every Christmas, and this is the treat that Santa got at our house instead of cookies. My grandmother taught me how to make it, and she has used a shortcrust pastry. However, there is a yeasted dough that you could use. It is softer and more bread-like, but I prefer the shortcrust pastry. 

Pastry Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 sticks refrigerated butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg, divided into yokes and whites
• 2 cups sour cream

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. poppyseeds
• 1/2 lb. finely ground walnuts
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and grated
• 1 lemon grated
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup rum
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar

Soak the raisins in the rum overnight. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, trying to keep the butter as cold as possible. It should resemble wet sand, and there will still be small chunks of butter visible. Add the egg yokes and sour cream until everything is fully incorporated. Chill for at least an hour and up to overnight. 

Grind the poppyseeds with a little sugar. In one large bowl mix together the poppyseeds, half of the grated apple, half of the grated lemon peel, 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, half cup sugar, and half of the raisins. In another large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, half of the grated apple, half of the grated lemon peel, 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, half cup sugar, and half of the raisins. Both the poppyseed and walnut mixtures should be spreadable. If they're too crumbly, add a little water until they're smooth and spreadable. I've also used the leftover rum to add some moisture.

Divide the pastry dough in half and leave half in the fridge to keep it chilled. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and on the dough. Roll out half the dough into a rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick.  Spread the poppyseed mixture over the dough. I've found that it's easiest to use my hands to make sure there are no gaps. Roll the long edge of the dough so you get a nice swirl. Place on a greased baking sheet and put in the fridge. Get the remaining dough from the fridge and roll it out the same way you did before. Spread the walnut mixture like you did the poppyseed and roll the long edge. Place on the same baking sheet. Chill the rolls for at least an hour and up to overnight to make sure the butter has not melted. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using some of the egg whites, give the rolls an egg wash. Poke a few holes in the loaves to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely then cut into inch wide pieces.

Chicken Tinga

We have a Mexican restaurant near us that makes the best chicken tinga tacos, and this is my attempt to replicate it, using my pressure cooker.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small onion, diced
• minced garlic, to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1-3 chopped chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1-2 tablespoons of adobo sauce 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• salt to taste

Using the sauté function, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and spices and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Manually release and put chicken in stand mixer bowl with about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Mix in the stand mixer on low until shredded.

Stud Muffin: Pear Cardamom Oatmeal Muffins

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups diced pears

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats and milk and let sit for 15 minutes. In another mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Stir the oil, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla into the soaked oats. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the pears. Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes.

TikTok Pasta

 Ingredients:

• 4 pints of cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot, quartered
• minced garlic to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 8-oz. block of feta cheese
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 12 oz. cooked pasta
• Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9x13 baking dish, combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, Italian seasoning and olive oil. Place feta cheese in the middle of the baking dish. Bake until the tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top, about 45 minutes. Combine with pasta and chopped basil. 

Zuppa Toscana

 

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1lb. ground pork
• 1 onion, diced
• minced garlic to taste
• 64 oz. chicken broth
• 4 large russet potatoes, skinned and chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• a handful of kale, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a large pot, sauté the bacon on medium heat until golden brown. Remove bacon and crumble on separate plate. Cook ground pork in bacon drippings. Once pork has browned, add onion and sauté until tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, fennel, chicken broth, and potatoes. Bring to a slow boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in kale and cook until the leaves are tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Then add cream and crumbled bacon.

Shakshuka

 

Every Sunday we get together with a couple of friends and have dinner.  We try all sorts of things, and some of our favorites have been crepe nights, pasta night, and holiday dinners.  Shakshuka was suggested at one point, but we never got around to it, so I decided to make it myself, particularly since we had an abundance of garden tomatoes.  I loved how easy it was for a weeknight dinner, and it was also very tasty!  I looked at several different recipes and basically combined several of them to come up with something I liked. So here's what I did:

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

In a large sauté pan, sauté onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook for about one minute more. Add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes break down. Create 6 divots in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each divot. Cover the pan and cook until the eggs are done, about 5-8 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, mint, and feta.

Avocado Chicken Salad

 

For the last few years I have made this avocado chicken salad when the weather gets really hot, and I don't want to heat the house up with cooking. And it's delicious! I got the recipe from here, but of course I've made some (minor) changes. Bon appétit! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh chives
• 1/4 fresh dill
• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
• 3 cups shredded chicken (cooked, obviously)

Zest the lemon and then juice it. Combine the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and one of the avocados in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add mayonnaise and yogurt and process until smooth. Dice the remaining avocado. Combine the chicken, diced avocado, and herb mixture in a bowl and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Serve on bread, crackers, or lettuce.