Category: Eggs

Honey Lemon Balm and Rum Ice Cream and How I Develop My Recipes.

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They say its National Ice Cream Month. My friend Louise of Month of Edible Celebrations always has the low down on all the  food holidays. This ice cream was inspired for no special reason other than I got 6 lbs of fabulous  raw organic honey from a friends father who is a beekeeper up in Mundelin and taking advantage of whats propping up in my container garden.What was I going to do with all that honey? I’m a honey fiend these past few years. I use it almost everyday either in my teas or some sort of food.  Our neighbors in Sweden keep bees as well and have the most divine white creamy  raw honey I slather on everything.  My friends father is Russian and is using his Eastern European beekeeping techniques to produce an amazing product. I hope he turns his hobby into a business. It really is a beautiful product with a nice balanced taste.

Honey pairs  well with milk, lemon and even rum. All great soothing ingredients for whatever ails you. Or these can be  just uplifting in flavor. I have  a mint pot with robust lemon balm and chocolate mint coming in. A cups harvest was used ads the as base for my ice cream. I love to infuse herbs into cream.

I used my new XYBoard from Verizon to jot down ideas as the recipe developed in my head and the kitchen. I really love discovering all the  features and apps. I love the sleekness of this tablet and it beats dragging the laptop  or the smaller Iphone into the kitchen. I can take photos,videos, post to my various social media sites, edit,get a clear nice space to work on, and do just about anything with ease.  Here is an example of the sticky note feature I’m using to store my ideas and processes.

Then  just for fun I take it step further when the product is completed and play around with cool apps like PicsArt to turn my ordinary photos into art and post on Instagram.

I can go on and on. Indulge me while I have some fun. So are you ready to cool down with this delightful and pleasant ice cream? The honey works surprisingly well and all the flavors just merge and scream summer.  My honey is more wildflower based, so be conscious on what type of honey you use in this recipe.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

 

Honey Lemon Balm and Rum Ice Cream and How I Develop My Recipes.
 
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An herb and honey based ice cream
Author:
Recipe type: ice cream
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cups runny honey preferably wild flower
  • 1 cup loosely packed lemon balm leaves washed and dried
  • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped open
  • 3 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
Instructions
  1. In an pot carefully heat the cream, milk , honey, lemon balm and vanilla until it begins to simmer. Honey likes to expand and boil rapidly so carefully watch your pot so it doesn't boil over.
  2. Turn off heat , cover with lid, and let the mixture sit for one hour to allow the lemon balm and vanilla to infuse the cream and milk.
  3. Strain out the lemon balm leaves and vanilla pods with a wire mesh strainer.
  4. Gently reheat after one hour on medium high.
  5. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the pinch of salt.
  6. Temper the eggs (adding a little stream of the hot milk and cream liquid to the eggs while beating) .
  7. Take the tempered eggs and add to the milk and cream mixture. Whisk constantly until the mixture just starts to thicken.You don't want to over cook this custard. If the mixture curdles, take a immersion blender while still warm/ hot and smooth out.
  8. Add the dark rum and whisk.
  9. Turn off heat.
  10. Strain through a wire mesh strainer and allow to cool to room temp.
  11. Refrigerate until ready to use, before adding to to your frozen freezer bowl.
  12. Process according to your ice cream makers instructions for 25 minutes or so.
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Baked Spanish Tortilla with Land O Lakes Eggs

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I love eggs. When I’m by myself, I often to turn to easy quick egg based dish. A fried egg added onto of rice or pasta just transforms it to something magical and beyond tasty. A simple poached egg is the epitome of elegance. Chopped boiled eggs add ummph to a salad. I can go on and on. So naturally when Land Of Lakes asked me  try their eggs, the issue was deciding on what type of dish to narrow it down to. I chose something I’ve made recently while catering a Spanish themed party this past summer. The baked Spanish Tortilla, cut into little bites, were a hit served cold.

I admit the thought of a cold egg and potato dish didn’t win me over, but tasting believing. In fact the dish actually tastes better cold than right out of the skillet or oven. In Spain they make sandwiches with the leftovers. The flavors just merge after sitting a while and you have a tasty and satisfying dish. Waxy yellow potatoes are normally peeled and sliced and “boiled “  in two cups of olive oil with onions until soft. Be sure to get a waxy potato as opposed to a Russet, which will fall apart when cooking. Don’t be alarmed at the amount of olive oil as it will be drained off, and you can use the flavor infused oil for other dishes later. In Spain you traditionally cook the tortilla in a skillet, flip it onto a plate, put it back in and finish the other side in the oven or range. I prefer the easy method to just baking the eggs in the oven.  You get a perfect tortilla that won’t fall apart or break when flipping.

Baked Spanish Tortilla with Land of Lakes Eggs can be made the night before a brunch and refrigerated. I used small baby red potatoes with the skins. If you do this, it is important to refrigerate as potato skins left at room temp for several hours breed botulism. This is important to consider with any potato dish with skins. But since Tortilla is a dish best served cold or at room temp, you will be in good shape. I also added red peppers and sun dried tomatoes for color. While not authentic, try adding cheese or crumbled cooked chorizio to your Tortilla .Anything goes. Serve with warm crusty bread.

For more information on Land O Lakes Eggs please visit:

Land O Lakes website

Betty Crocker Blogger recipes

Land O Lakes Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LandOLakes
Land O Lakes  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LandOLakesKtchn

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post from General Mills, but all opinions and original recipes  are my own.

Baked Spanish Tortilla with Land O Lakes Eggs
 
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This international favorite is easy to make and will wow your brunch crowd with its simplicity and flavor.
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups olive pomace oil or olive oil
  • 2 cups sliced potatoes
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 dozen Land O’ Lakes® organic all-natural eggs
Instructions
  1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Cook potatoes and onions in oil about 5 minutes, turning potatoes constantly for even cooking, until oil begins to simmer; add thyme, salt and pepper.
  3. Simmer about 10 minutes longer, turning potatoes constantly, until potatoes are soft and tender. (If potatoes begin to fry and turn brown during cooking, reduce heat.)
  4. Remove from heat; drain (do not wash skillet).
  5. Place potato mixture in medium bowl; cool slightly.
  6. Meanwhile, in same skillet, cook and stir bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes over medium heat 1 minute; add to potato mixture.
  7. Break up potatoes a little with fork.
  8. Heat oven to 350°F.
  9. Line bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking parchment paper; grease side of dish with oil.
  10. In large bowl, lightly beat eggs with fork or wire whisk until well mixed.
  11. Add potato mixture to eggs; stir until blended.
  12. Carefully pour into baking dish.
  13. Bake about 30 minutes or until eggs are completely set and top is slightly puffed and golden; cool 15 minutes.
  14. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until chilled.
  15. To serve, run thin knife around edge of tortilla to loosen. Place rectangular serving platter upside down on baking dish (be sure platter is at least as large as baking dish); carefully turn platter and baking dish over.
  16. Remove baking dish; peel off cooking parchment paper.
  17. Serve chilled.
Notes
This dish can be made and refrigerated the night before a brunch. For a milder flavor, you can substitute 1 or 2 sliced large shallots for the onion. While not authentic, you can add cheese or crumbled, cooked chorizio to your tortilla. Serve with warm, crusty bread. Anything goes
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Chocolate Chip Whey Brioche and The Four Pounds of Cheese Project

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A few weeks back Jeni invited me and many other people to to her special Facebook project to raise awareness for weeks period on what we waste food wise. We were asked to photograph and write about it. Here is the Facebook page , where a lot of discussion and tips are available. I had every intention to jump right in and photograph and blog about my own personal waste, but life got in the way with the new job and catering gigs. I am aware that I do waste, no matter how hard I try not to. The biggest culprit being the spoilage of my bi weekly organic vegetable box. I can’t make or eat the produce fast enough and it spoils quickly being organic. As a chef I’m old school, and raised by a mother who used everything up in the kitchen , as she learned from her mother. Bones, end and pieces all go into the pot. But there are some things you can’t save and use fast enough when its past being good. Here is a photo  of some stuff I threw out that week to make room in the fridge for more. Certain Someone gets on me all the time for this.

I got to thinking a lot about waste that week as my friend The Alchemist treated me to a cheese making course at Angelic Farms. I will post all about that later.They are all about the earth and lack of waste at the farm. I learned many things that day but especially how to use Whey, a run off product from making cheese after the curds form, that’s full of protein. It never occurred to me to bake with it, add it to smoothies, soups, even lemonade. So I dutifully froze a quart of Whey leftover from class , as I knew it would be a while until I got back to it.  I cringe about the Whey I have thrown out and wasted in earlier cheese experiments.

Then the other day I adventurously started the process of making Brie (it takes months to age, so that won’t be posted until later on the Fall). Naturally I had tons of Whey, I would say almost a gallon). As it was a rare day off packed with kitchen experiments, I dusted off the old Kitchen Aid and mixed some flour with just water salt and yeast and let rise overnight in the fridge , until I could get back to it. In my reading I saw most bread recipes with Whey called for fat, as the protein made a chewy but very tender  dough. So I bravely resolved to cut in the butter and eggs the next day to my starter dough, and it worked! I wanted a more of Brioche type of bread. I’m rather proud of myself for making a great recipe fully off the cuff. I’m am getting more confident as  a baker. I work now with a lot of Europeans who are very particular about their bread, and I took the brioche to work. They loved it and were impressed. That’s huge to me, as I love it when people enjoy my food. Unfortunately my shapes in the mini Panettone cups didn’t hold and the end result look like a limp part of the male anatomy ( according to one person) , but it was delicious , so who cares. I’m happy something I would have thrown away and wasted ordinarily in my past cheese experiments turned into something so good.


Chocolate Chip Whey Brioche
 
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A rich Brioche type of bread made with Whey
Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 6 cups All Purpose Non Bleached Flour plus 1 cup extra for kneading and the later
  • 1½ tablespoon instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoon warm water
  • 4 cups of Whey
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 scoop of Meyenberg Powdered Goat Milk ( approx 14 grams or 1 tablespoon)
  • 2½ sticks unsalted butter at room temp
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Egg wash of 1 egg beaten to 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • Extra butter for greasing rising containers or baking tins.
  • Disposable Panettone baking cups ( no greasing needed)
Instructions
  1. The night before in the bowl of the stand mixer add yeast, sugar and some water . Let stand for a few minutes until dissolved and slightly foamy.
  2. Add the flour, powdered goats milk,whey, and salt.
  3. Mix with the paddle first, then switch to the dough hook. Make sure you scrape down the sides to incorporate all the ingredients.
  4. Grease /Butter a rising container with lid to hold the dough.
  5. Add the dough, which will be more on the wet side, and cover with lid.
  6. Place in the refrigerator overnight to slowly rise.
  7. The next day take butter out to become room temperature and soft.
  8. Take the dough out and add to the stand mixer bowl.
  9. The next few steps will get a little messy and the workout the stand mixer.
  10. Punch down the dough and place in the bowl of the mixer. Cut the butter into small pieces and add.
  11. Add one egg at a time.
  12. Slowly with the dough hook cut in the butter and eggs. The dough will be wet and messy so you can add slowly the extra flour ( 1 cup) to help bind the dough.
  13. The final dough should be sticky but not too wet.
  14. Once all is mixed, add the chocolate chips and continue to need on a low speed with the dough hook.
  15. Turn out and scrape the dough into a floured surface and finish kneading with your hands.
  16. Place back into the a clean container , cover and allow to rest for 3O minutes.
  17. Preheat oven to 400.
  18. Prep your baking tins or cups.
  19. Shape you dough into desired shapes for the baking cups or tins.
  20. Brush with egg wash and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes or so.
  21. Bake until golden. Depends on size and shape to determine if finished.
Notes
This is a two day or overnight process.
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Fried Squash Blossoms…Tasty and Beautiful

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I remember when I first heard about fried squash blossoms. It was many years ago and my roommate Anita was going on about how fabulous this Italian woman’s fried flowers were in her recent travels. Having no foodie point of reference on them, I thought the concept of eating fried flowers was kind of gross. Boy was I wrong. As my tastebuds  became more sophisticated, I see the charm in this beautiful delicacy nature offers up from the Zucchini plant. I love the scene in the movie Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts character shares a meal of fried squash blossoms while learning Italian from her tutor. They camera zooms into them cutting into the juicy  and cheesy fried treat and it looks so delicious.

These days I’m trying to launch my own off premise catering services, and have been having some great success. So while shopping in a restaurant supply depot for supplies to test for an upcoming event , I came across a large clam shell of squash blossoms in the produce section. I knew I wanted to stuff them with a spiced and herbed goat cheese and devour. I worked for a chef who bemoaned the fact that people fried them and preferred them in their raw state. There is a lot you can do with them, but fried is always good.

I am not a huge fryer but lately have been playing around with fried items, as I find they go over well at parties both large and small. I wouldn’t offer up these fried blossoms for a huge event , but say a dinner for no more than ten people as a starter . I find using club soda for me when frying, makes the batter pure perfection and provides a real crunchiness almost like a tempura . My new favorite secret ingredient is a Eastern European spice and vegetable blend you can find throughout Chicago called Vegeta. I throw it in everything from soups to eggs as a great flavor enhancer. Vegeta worked really well in this recipe. So those are my tricks or trucos. Also if  you want perfection and less mess, use a piping bag to stuff your flowers. Your work will go quicker.


Fried Squash Blossoms...Tasty and Beautiful
 
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Fried Squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: appetiser
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • For the Stuffing
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 12-18 zucchini flowers ( some may be larger or smaller)
  • 6-8 oz of goat cheese depending on amount / size of zucchini flowers
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • a dash of grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons dried or fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons Vegeta * optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the Batter
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons cold club soda
  • Olive Pomace Oil to fry
Instructions
  1. Batter
  2. In a small bowl mix , beat the 2 eggs.
  3. Gradually add the flour to incorporate.
  4. Then add the cold Club Soda.
  5. With a wire whisk, mix until batter is smooth and not lumpy.
  6. Set aside and allow to sit.
  7. Gently clean your zucchini flowers and remove the stamens inside which cause bitter taste. Be careful as to not soak or wilt your your flower.
  8. Pat dry any moisture.
  9. In a bowl mix / cream your cheeses and spices with the 1 beaten egg.Mix completely until you have smooth incorporated mixture that is thick enough to pipe. If mixture is too runny add more goat cheese.
  10. Place mixture in a piping bag with tip.
  11. Carefully open and pipe goat cheese mixture into each blossom leaving enough room at the top to twist the ends close.
  12. Prepare your fry pan or deep fryer with enough oil to fry.
  13. Wait until oil is ready by dropping a bit of batter and watching to see if it sizzles and bubbles. Heat should be medium high.
  14. Drop each blossom into the batter and then into the hot oil. Turn after a minute or two to cook the other side. Blossom should be golden and crispy and heat should be high enough but not not too high. Careful in frying and turning as to not loose the cheese stuffing.
  15. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
  16. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve.
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Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Speckled Buttercream

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I may be be called cute at times, but one thing I’m not is cutesy. Nor am I follower of fads. That’s why the whole cupcake craze just never appealed to me much. I will have one now and then, but I am not obsessed . Although I admit there are those that have taken the cupcake to pure art form. I wrote about the whole craze here. Give me a multi tiered cake to bring out the artist in me. However when it comes to a portable dessert to break my dry spell of not baking , the cupcake comes to the rescue. The small parcels of sweet goodness are just  the right thing to tote to work to satisfy  the few people that had been missing my sweets.

The security guard and customer service representative were beginning to wonder what was going on with me. They got spoiled over the holidays.  But with New Years and personal vows to get my health and weight  in check before things got out of control, baking was sidelined. Then Certain Someone, decided to remodel, which I am grateful, but it takes time with our schedules and figuring out what to do with all my stuff. So my kitchen just isn’t in the state I would like it to be for things to flow. I moved things around and lost my Mojo. The other day I moved my Kitchen Aid back to its original place and I got the urge back . With egg whites in the freezer and visions of lightness, I decided on Angel Food. Chocolaty Angel Food, cause that what’s I am. Then topped with an Italian Meringue Butter cream speckled with vanilla bean paste. Light and rich. Certain Someone is not one for sweets but that didn’t stop him from asking for his “Honig to bring me another bite of cake. Ein Bisschen”.

I exaggerate, but that’s the gist. At work , those managed to partake scarfed them down in a bite. They are that light, but with a rich decadent topping. I choose Rose Levy  Beranbaum’s Chocolate Lovers Angel Food Cake from the Cake Bible as my guide. The recipe is designed for a cake,but it made 24 cupcakes plus one 6 inch plain cake.
You can find the recipe here for the cake.
I used my recipe from from the French Pasty School. Here you can find an classic Italian Meringue with a tutorial that’s based on a Rose Levy Beranbaum  recipe.

Some quick tips:

  • Make your own cake flour by substitute by sifting  together 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
  • Make sure the egg whites hit the stiff beak stage. To test hold up whisk attachment and see it the beaks hold their shape.The recipe has 3 stages, frothy, soft, and stiff.
  • Don’t be deterred if your Italian Meringue curdles. It’s one of those things that has looks really bad before it shapes up and comes to life. Just keep beating on. It will come together , promise.
  • I used Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste which is a great alternative to actual vanilla beans.Just add to butter cream  to achieve speckled effect.
  • If making cupcakes , fill liners 2/3 of the way. Tap pan to settle batter.