Vietnamese Tofu Sandwich

This sandwich is inspired on the Vietnamese summer rolls, that's why I call it a "Vietnamese Sub". I love the summer rolls but they can be quite time consuming to make, so I decided to put some of the flavours that I like from the rolls in a sandwich. One of the things I love about the fresh salad rolls is the peanut dipping sauce that comes with them, so I made my own Asian-peanut spread for the sandwich by combining peanut butter, hoisin sauce and mayonnaise. I added carrots, jicama and daikon as well as baked tofu. For extra crunchiness, I put some chopped peanuts inside the sandwich. Fresh cilantro adds to the theme, making this a one of a kind sandwich.

Vietnamese Tofu Sandwich Recipe:

makes 1 sandwich

You will need:

1 tablespoon of peanut butter (room temperature is best)

1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons of vegenaise (or regular mayonnaise)

1 baguette about 8 inches long

1/2 block of (1 piece) of baked tofu of your choice

1/2 carrot, peel and cut into thin strips

1/4 jicama, peeled and cut into this strips

1 small piece of daikon, cut into strips

a handful of fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon of peanuts, roughly chopped

Mix the peanut butter with the hoisin sauce. Add the vegenaise until you get a creamy consistency. You might use more or less mayo depending on how you like the spread to taste.

Slice the bread lengthwise and spread the peanut-mayo on both sides.

Layer all the other ingredients to make your sandwich.

Enjoy it!

This month's Weekend Wokking (not so) secret ingredient is cilantro, so I am submitting this recipe for it. This edition of Weekend Wokking is hosted this month by Blazing Hot Wok.

If cutting vegetables is not your thing, use the large holes of a box grater to shred the carrots and jicama.

Bakewell Tart - Daring Bakers

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and 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.

I have never heard or Bakelwell tarts before, so didn't know what to expect. It turns out it is a tart shell layered with jam and topped with frangipane. That's the best way I can describe it. I also had never made frangipane before, and was excited about that. Frangipane is a almond flavoured filling that can be used in many different ways and it is often found in French pastries. It was easy to make and I loved the flavour of it.

 

I followed the recipe given to us and ended up with a surplus of both shortcrust pastry and frangipane. Not a problem, just made some small tartlets using muffin size baking shells. It worked out great.  By reading the comments from other Daring Bakers, I realized that when making a large size tart it would be better to pre-bake, or blind bake the shell, or the jam could make it soggy. I did that with my 9 inch tart and the dough was perfectly cooked at the end. The small tartlets didn't need to do that, but I made sure they stayed in the freezer for a while before I baked them.

I used an organic, good quality, store bought raspberry jam for my bakewell tarts, but any kind of jam or spread would work too, homemade or store bought. The recipe can be split into two days (prepare the shortcrust pastry in one day and the rest in another day).

I really enjoyed making this challenge, the tarts were so delicious, very delicate and elegant. Head over to the Daring Bakers home to see plenty more bakewell tarts and get inspired!

 

 

 

Bakewell Tart Ingredients List:

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
1cup of raspberry jam
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

 

Sweet shortcrust pastry Recipe:

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane Recipe:

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one 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 three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

 

 

Assembling the tart

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatized for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

For a large 9 inch pie: blind bake the tart shell before moving to the next step. To do that, cover the cold tart shell with foil, place beans or pie weights on top of it and bake for about 15 minutes, until slightly golden brown.

For small muffin-size tartlets:  continue with recipe as bellow, baking the frozen  tartlets straight out of the freezer.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly giggly and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

 

Eggplant Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Sun-Dried-Tomatoes

 

 

Eggplants are very tasty and healthy and I love to experiment with it, although I don't think I do it as often as I should. This salad is very picnic friendly, great for the summer season. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge, it travels well and it tastes so good. Pair it with a good crusty bread for a delicious light meal.  A chilled glass of white wine is optional, but strongly suggested :)

 

Eggplant Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Sun-Dried-Tomatoes Recipe:

serves 4 as a main course or 6 an an appetizer

You will need:

 

For the salad:

1 medium to large size eggplant

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

fresh pepper

8 oz of fresh mozzarella balls

1/4 cup of sun-dried-tomatoes in oil, drained

 

For the dressing:

1/4 cup of a mix offresh basil leaves and fresh oregano, mixed

2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

up to 1/4 cup of olive oil (you may need less than that)

salt and pepper

 

Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces and place in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and let it rest for 30 minutes. Pat eggplant pieces dry with a paper towel. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add eggplant, stir it around the pan and cook until done, but firm. Season with fresh pepper. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and let it come to room temperature.

To make the dressing, use a blender,or a food processor. Start by processing the balsamic vinegar, herbs and sugar together. With the motor running, drizzle the oil until the dressing comes together by thickening a bit and having everything well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients, and refrigerate it. Serve it cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy it!

 

Marinated Mozzarella

This is another fridge staple here at home. I like to buy bocconcini in water and make a quick herb-infused oil-based marinate for it.  It keeps well in the fridge and the flavours improve with time, although these little mozzarella balls never lasts too long in our fridge. The herbs I use are normally oregano and thyme because I always have them at home. Often when I have guests over, this is what I serve as a quick appetizer. Be sure to have a good, crusty bread to soak up some of the oil.

 

Marinated Mozzarella Recipe:

1 container (8oz) of bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

zest of 1 small lemon

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Drain the mozzarella balls. Mix all ingredients well in a jar and refrigerate overnight. Move them around from time to time so the oil covers all pieces of cheese. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before you serve it.

Enjoy it!

Sauteed Collard Greens with Panko and Raisins (Farofa de Couve)

 

 

This is my take on a really popular Brazilian side dish called farofa (FAH-RO-FA) which is made with toasted manioc flour. I cannot find this type of flour here in the U.S. so I use panko instead. You can use regular bread crumbs if that's what you have at home. As a side dish, it this is really tasty, colourful and( unless you are Brazilian), certainly different.

The collard greens are sliced very thin which allows for a quick cooking time on the skillet, which means your collards remain, well...green. No overcooked greens here. Take a look at my caldo verde post to see how to prep the collards this way.

 

Sauteed collar greens with panko and raisins Recipe:

servers 4 as a side dish

You will need:

2 tablespoons of live oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup of panko or bread crumbs

1/4 cup of raisins

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of collard greens, thinly sliced (see note bellow)

 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and oil. When the butter is melted, add the onions and cook  for about 5 minutes or until onions are clear and soft. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds and add the panko and raisins. Stir the panko around the skillet so it will take in the golden colour from the butter. Season with salt and add the collards. Stir it around the skillet until cooked but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Do not feel tempted to cook the greens longer, or they will be overcooked.

 

Note:

To prepare the collard greens: wash and dry leaves. Remove the tough stems by cutting around them with a knife. Roll up the leaves and slice it thinly. Photos of this preparations can be found on this link.

Marinated Mushrooms

 

 

WARNING: These mushrooms are addictive. I really mean it. It's impossible to have just one.  The good thing is that they are super easy to make. When making the marinade, you can opt for more or less garlic, depending on your taste. The herbs can also be substituted for others, the main idea here is to make a sort of herb vinaigrette and let the mushrooms take in its flavours, so be creative and use whatever herbs you have available or prefer. This makes an excellent addition to an antipasto platter, serve it with some good bread to soak up the flavoured oil. I also like to add them to salads. This is how I usually make mine:

 

Marinated Antipasto Mushrooms Recipe:

1 pound of brown or white mushrooms, or a mix of both
4 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil, or more if needed
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced 
1/4 cup of red onions or shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)

 

Wash mushrooms well and remove stems. Boil mushrooms in salted water for about 10 minutes, drain and let cool. While mushrooms cool, combine all other ingredients in a jar, close the lid and shake until it's all combined. Add mushrooms, close lid and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 10 minutes before planning on serving it.

 

Note: the olive oil may get hard on the fridge, you can void that by adding some vegetable oil to the marinade , or just shaking the jar every once in a while, which is what I do.

Strawberry Ice Cream

 

 

I am excited about making my own ice creams this summer. Ever since I got the attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer at Christmas I really didn't do much with it (with a few exceptions). But now the summer weather finally arrived here in Seattle and I find myself wanting ice creams and frozen desserts. This one is not going to win any awards in originality, I know. It was Andrew's request though. I've established a "request rotation" here at home for the ice cream flavours. That's because I like to try new and different ideas, whereas Andrew prefers the more conventional flavours. So next time it's my turn to choose a new combination of flavours. I have to say, though that this ice cream turned out extremely well and in fact it tastes just like something from an ice cream parlor. Take your time when making the custard and your patience will be paid of. This recipe calls for 6 egg yolks, so plan on having an omelet or perhaps making meringues with the whites.

 

 

Strawberry Ice Cream:

makes 1 quart

You will need:

3 cups of half-and-half

6 egg yolks

1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 1/2 cups of  strawberries, cleaned, leaves removed and sliced

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Heat the half-and-half over medium-low heat until it gets steamy, without boiling it.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Add the hot half-and-half very slowly, a little at the time, whisking vigorously. This ensures that the hot cream cools down fast as it is whisked and therefore won't cook the eggs. Once all the half-and-half is incorporated, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring until it has formed a thick custard ( check by coating  a wooden spoon with the custard, pass your finger on it, the trail left on the spoon should be clear). It is important not to hurry this process, as the custard should never boil.

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl and stir in the strawberries and vanilla. Let it come to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, up to overnight.

Pour cold custard into ice cream machine and freeze it following the manufacture's instructions. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it until set, about 3 hours.

Enjoy it!

 

Tonkatsu

 

 

Tonkatsu to me is like the Asian version of he Wiener Schnitzel. It's breaded, deep-fried pork cutlets. The use of panko (a Japanese version of bread crumbs)  and the sauce makes Tonkatsu an authentic Asian dish. Andrew loves it, so I decided to make it for him. There is really no secrets to it, if you ever breaded any other type of food (veggies, chicken, beef), than you know what I am talking about. The one thing I am picky about is to have it crispy, crunch and dry. It is easy to end up with a soggy and oily piece of meat. To avoid that, make sure the oil is hot enough ( dip only a piece of the meat into the oil and see if it sizzles).

I bought a bottle of Tonkatsu sauce at my grocery store, but there is plenty recipes online to make your own at home, I just didn't have the time or energy for that.

 

Tonkatsu Recipe:

makes 4 pieces

 

You will need:

 

4 pork boneless chops

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

a splash of milk

1 cup of panko

canola oil for frying

 

Tonkatsu sauce for serving.

 

Pound the pieces of pork until they are pretty thin.

Make a breading station by placing the flour on a plate, the eggs and milk on a bowl and the panko on another plate. Working with one piece of pork at a time, cover the pieces of pork firstly with flour, shake off excess. Dip it in the egg mixture, let excess drip off. Place it on the plate with panko and make sure the piece of meat is fully covered with it.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a skillet and fry the pork one at a time until the outside crust is golden brown, flipping it once, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper lined plate, serve hot with white rice, cabbage and Tonkatsu sauce.

Enjoy it!

 

Pizza with roasted red pepper sauce

 

 

Remember that roasted red pepper and ricotta sauce I used on a penne a while ago? Here it is again, making another appearance, this time as a pizza sauce. This versatile sauce not only brings lots of flavour to the pizza  but also makes for an extra cheesy, creamy one. That is because I added shredded mozzarella, so you end up with two types of cheeses. Not everyone may like it, Andrew for example thought it was a little over the top. I love it, I am used having creamy cheeses on pizzas, it's a common thing in Brazil.

I had a batch of the roasted red pepper and ricotta in the fridge and also had a pizza dough ready and resting in the refrigerator, so dinner was ready in no time at all.

 

Here is what I used:

1 ball of my  homemade pizza dough

about 1/4 cup of roasted red pepper and ricotta sauce (recipe here)

shredded mozzarella

sliced mushrooms

olives

fresh basil

 

Just roll out the pizza dough, spread the sauce, layer the mushrooms and cheese and top it with a few olives. Bake it at 475 degrees for about 8 minutes. Top with fresh basil and enjoy it!

Apple Strudel - Daring Bakers

 

The last couple of months have been quite busy for me and unfortunately it has taken me away from the kitchen. But I couldn't pass on this month's Daring Baker's Challenge: Apple Strudel. I love apple strudel and was quite excited about making my own strudel dough from scratch. We could do any kind of filling we wanted, sweet or savoury but I wanted to stick to the classic German Apple Strudel, in part because  Andrew and I both like apple desserts.

Making the dough was easier than I expected, but I didn't manage to stretch it as much as needed and it resulted in only 2 layers of rolled strudel dough. It was delicious anyway, and I figure that the more you practice the better you get at stretching the dough. Mine covered half of my dining table, next time I'll try to cover the whole table. The dough is so nice to work with, it made me realize how much I enjoy cooking, making foods from scratch, transforming simple ingredients into delightful creations. I intend to get back to my baking and cooking routine very soon and will definitely make this strudel again, playing with different types of fillings.

 

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.

 

I did not make many changes to the recipe given to us, posted bellow.  This is all I changed:

• I used panko instead of fresh bread crumbs,because that was the only thing I had in hand.
• I used 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
• Following some tips from other daring Bakers, I spread the bread crumbs all over the stretched dough as shown in the photo bellow.

 

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. 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.

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

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

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. 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 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and 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 and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and 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 and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) 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.