Sialia's Kitchen

tasty things

[sialiaskitchen]

Deeply Satisfying Thick and Creamy Mushroom, Leek, Potato and Bean Soup (with no Cream)

(although I suppose you could add some if you wanted to, but I think it doesn't need it)

I had leftover mashed potatoes and a pot of cooked Mayacoba beans in the fridge, and not enough of either to serve to the family. Soup solves everything. If you don't have leftovers to use up, just cook two large Yukon Gold potatoes (microwave is fine) and then dice or mash them, and use a half can of white beans.

Instructions:

Dice the white part of a leek and a cup of mushrooms and then saute them in good tasting oil or margarine.

After a few minutes, when they are lightly browned, add a half tablespoon of minced garlic (or more if you prefer) and stir until the garlic is not raw anymore ( this happens pretty quickly, only a minute or so) It should smell of toasted garlic (but not raw or burnt garlic) and the color of the garlic changes.

Quickly, before the garlic burns, deglaze the pan with some white wine (about 1/4 cup? I didn't measure. Just enough to get everything wet and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan)

Add the cooked potatoes and the beans and stir the whole thing well, mashing some of the potatoes and beans into the broth, adding water as needed to get it to the consistency of a thick soup. If you overshoot and it gets too thin, add a handful of crushed crackers to thicken it back up.

Add salt, black pepper, white pepper and thyme to taste.

Serve with crackers or bread, if desired.

[sialiaskitchen]

Fresh HOME GROWN peach with melty cheese, rosemary and balsamic drizzle

Smells soooo good

Waaaant it

[sialiaskitchen]

Cocoa Glaze/Fudgy Filling

1 part high quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 part powdered sugar (preferably the kind with tapioca starch instead of corn starch because tastes better)

1/2 part neutral flavored vegetable oil

1/4 part boiling water

Mix together and stir until smooth.

Adjust to desired thickness by adding a bit more powdered sugar or boiling water, as needed. Optional extras: a dribble of vanilla extract and/or a tiny bit of instant coffee powder.

Pour warm over vanilla ice cream, or use it to glaze a cake or a donut etc.

Or chill it until it gets solid and then scoop little balls to use as a filling for candies or cupcakes, or spread like frosting.

Do not eat directly out of jar with spoon in front of refrigerator in middle of the night -- it will make falling back to sleep difficult. Dipping pretzels in it instead of a spoon will not help matters.

Ok to reheat a spoonful of it in microwave for a few seconds and then add cold or warm milk for awesome chocolate milk or hot cocoa. Adding it plus a bit more coffee powder to your warm milk will give you an excellent mocha. You might not sleep, but you will be able to stay up all night reading Naomi Novik's awesome Temeraire series, so who cares?

[sialiaskitchen]

Sauteed mushrooms and leeks with a little salt, fresh thyme and lemon juice.

Would be great as a side dish or in a quiche or savory tart, maybe an empanada or knish filling. Also good with cream sauce or melty cheese.

[sialiaskitchen]

Also good with added Poblano peppers, parsley and/or a tablespoon of cashew butter instead of cheese to stick it all together with creaminess.

[sialiaskitchen]

Maple and Maybe Pecan buns

The hardest part of this recipe is the wait at the end. Remember that boiling sugar syrup does not feel good in the moth and go take a walk.

Make or buy some bread dough (I like to use challah type dough, but premade pizza dough will work fine.)

Make syrup by mixing together:

2.5 Tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 Tbs flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350F.

Take a small ramekin and grease it, and then pour a tablespoon or two of syrup into the bottom (or enough to cover the bottom of the ramekin to about 1/4 inch). Add optional sprinkle of chopped pecans if desired.

Take a bun-sized blob of dough and stretch it out flat on a worksurface. Pour syrup in the center of it and brush all over except edges. Add optional sprinkle of chopped pecans if desired. Roll up the dough into a log and then coil it into a snail. Don't worry if it leaks a bit. Drop the gooey snail into the ramekin on top of the syrup.

Make more until dough and syrup are used up.

Put the ramekins on a drip pan just in case, and then bake 350F about 15 minutes, or until the syrup is bubbling vigorously and the top of the buns are well browned but both are shy of burnt.

Don't be like me and forget the drip pan.

Let rest 1 hour. Serve

[sialiaskitchen]

Sauteed mushrooms and leeks with a little salt, fresh thyme and lemon juice.

Would be great as a side dish or in a quiche or savory tart, maybe an empanada or knish filling. Also good with cream sauce or melty cheese.

[sialiaskitchen]

Creamy Cheddar Poblano Soup with Soft Egg and dippers (aka "Yosemite Soup")

Cut two poblano peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes and put them on a tray under the broiler until they blister. Carefully put them into a covered dish or jar and let them steam until they cool off, then peel them.

Meanwhile, cut a sweet onion and/or a leek into chunks, and put that under the broiler until slightly charred.

Put ONE of the peppers into a blender with the onion/leek, add a handful of frozen kernel corn and enough vegetable stock or water to be able to blend them to a smooth puree. Optional: add a little toasted guajillo pepper to the mix to add some more flavor and heat.

Add a little milk until it is too loose to call it a puree and is more the consistency of a soup. Add a 3 tablespoons of masa harina and then add salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste, then blend until there are no lumps. Pour the puree into a pot and heat it up gently. (You can use a little milk or stock to rinse the blender and pour that in, too).

Dice up the remaining roasted poblano and add that to the pot with a little more frozen kernel corn for texture. Optional: if you have some roasted potatoes or cooked carrots you could dice those up and add them in for texture, too.

Keep the soup at a very low simmer just below bubbling for about 6 minutes until it thickens, stirring slowly and scraping the bottom frequently so it doesn't stick and burn. If it gets too thick, add a little more stock or milk.

Add 2 slices of processed American Cheese and stir until that melts, then add a couple handfuls of shredded white cheddar. (The American cheese will keep the cheddar from going stringy, as will keeping the heat very low.) Off the heat, adjust the acidity by mixing in a spoonful or two of salsa, lime juice, lemon juice, tasty vinegar, sour cream or hot sauce (to taste) and then the soup is ready to serve.

If you like, put some warm soup into a ramekin and crack a raw egg into the soup and put a lid on it. Microwave for about 30 seconds, then let sit for one minute. This should be enough to cook the eggwhite thoroughly and leave the yolk runny, but YMMV (you microwave may vary) Adjust by adding 10 seconds at a time until you feel that your egg is done to your liking. Remember that the hot soup will be doing some of the cooking, so don't overdo it. Just let it rest covered for a minute or two and it should finish gently on its own. Make some toast or get some crackers or corn chips to dip in it.

Mmmmmm.

[sialiaskitchen]

Sesame Cucumber Rice

Rinse 1.5 cups sushi rice until the water runs clear, drain. Put into heavy bottomed pot that has a lid.

Add 2 cups clean cold water, put on lid, let soak 1 hour.

Bring to full boil until it foams up, then drop the heat back to very low for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let it rest another 5 minutes.

Let cool and then add toasted sesame seeds, mirin, a teeny bit of salt and sugar and some thinly sliced cucumber

Serve room temperature or chilled.

[sialiasnest]

Perfect Passover Brownies (best for Second Seder)

This is it: the perfect Passover brownie recipe. I have done it, at last!! Mad cackling and gloating. So, so good.

And really, pretty easy.

Beat 2 eggs with

1 cup ultra fine sugar

1/2 cup light flavored olive oil

1 tsp real vanilla

6 Tbs dutched cocoa

1/2 cup Passover cake meal

2 Tbs potato starch

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 to 6 oz semisweet chocolate (chips, or a smashed or melted candy bar)

Pour into a prepared pan, let rest in fridge for several hours. Bake 350F until top is shiny and crackled. (between 180F and 195F interior, if you have a probe thermometer.)

Cool thoroughly. (Yeah, right) No really, get your fingers out of there. Let them cool. If possible, overnight. It will be good first day, but truly amazing second day.

No one will say "not bad for Passover." Everyone will say "really good fudgy brownies."

[sialiasnest]

Same recipe, with slightly more cake meal, baking powder and starch is firm enough after resting to roll into cookies.

(I left the measuring cups/spoons heaped instead of levelled.)

Would probably have tasted better tomorrow, but we will never know.

[sialiaskitchen]

Optional: can frost with

Passover Chocolate Frosting

3 parts powdered sugar 1 part unsweetened cocoa generous dash of vanilla tiny pinch salt a goodly glug of neutral flavored vegetable oil

[sialiasnest]

If you just use the brownie recipe without modification except for dolloping it onto a sheet pan, you get these beauties

[sialiaskitchen]

Passover Cannoli filling

Ricotta, drained, vanilla and sugar to taste. Mix well.

Spread on matza, or freeze and eat like ice cream. Or use it to frost a cake.

[sialiaskitchen]

Is there any rule against smearing frangipane on the afikomen and letting it sit in the still warm low oven I used to keep the roast warm (about 300°F) for a couple of minutes until lightly toasted before eating? I mean, it's dessert, right? So adding some slivered almonds and chocolate chips wouldn't really be a problem as long as you don't eat them AFTER the afikomen, and no one is allergic to nuts, yes no?

Because this tastes wonderful.

At the very least, I recommend it as a quick after school snack. This is quick and easy to pop into the toaster oven if you have the frangipane mixed up in advance in the fridge.

Pareve Frangipani L'Pesach:

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp oil (can use melted butter if not pareve)

2 Tbsp sugar

Teensy pinch of salt to taste

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup almond flour

Mix together well, then let rest for a bit if you have time. Dollop and shmear onto a piece of matza and warm gently until slightly puffy and the top appears dry. Do not overcook. Five minutes at 300°F should do it. Maybe less, but probably should be at least 3 minutes for food safety.

Feel free to add toppings such as sliced almonds, chocolate chips, blueberries, cinnamon, jam or whatever you like.

[sialiaskitchen]

So, if you make the Frangipani you have a leftover egg white. Here's what to do with it.

Almond Cookies

Mix together:

1 egg white

1 Tbsp potato starch

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

Pinch salt

Stir until all smooth, then add

5 Tbsp almond flour

(optional: a little lemon zest)

Then, if you have something like a little ramekin or cupcake pan, dollop into pan and bake gently until just cooked. 330°F for about 5 minutes works if your cookies are about a tablespoon in size.

If you just drop them on to a flat cookie sheet, they will spread very flat and burn easily, so keep an eye on them.

Bonus idea: top with the frangipane, and some sliced almonds for the last 3 minutes of the bake. Do not overcook the frangipane. Chocolate chips or blue berries also good.

[sialiaskitchen]

Is there any rule against smearing frangipane on the afikomen and letting it sit in the still warm low oven I used to keep the roast warm (about 300°F) for a couple of minutes until lightly toasted before eating? I mean, it's dessert, right? So adding some slivered almonds and chocolate chips wouldn't really be a problem as long as you don't eat them AFTER the afikomen, and no one is allergic to nuts, yes no?

Because this tastes wonderful.

At the very least, I recommend it as a quick after school snack. This is quick and easy to pop into the toaster oven if you have the frangipane mixed up in advance in the fridge.

Pareve Frangipani L'Pesach:

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp oil (can use melted butter if not pareve)

2 Tbsp sugar

Teensy pinch of salt to taste

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup almond flour

Mix together well, then let rest for a bit if you have time. Dollop and shmear onto a piece of matza and warm gently until slightly puffy and the top appears dry. Do not overcook. Five minutes at 300°F should do it. Maybe less, but probably should be at least 3 minutes for food safety.

Feel free to add toppings such as sliced almonds, chocolate chips, blueberries, cinnamon, jam or whatever you like.

[sialiaskitchen]

Date Orange and Almond charoset absolutely belongs on the seder plate

In small sauce pan:

Juice of 1/2 orange

Handful of chopped up medjool dates

splash of oil (about a tablespoon)

Pinch of salt

Cook over medium heat while stirring until dates melt and get creamy, stir until mostly smooth (some lumps are ok) (about 5 minutes)

Add toasted sliced almonds, to taste. (Optional can add a few drops of vanilla extract)

Chill.

[sialiaskitchen]

Passover hack: you can tortilla almost any starchy veg: potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, squash, carrots , parsnip, etc. just cook, mash, add just enough potato starch to make a soft dough (about a spoonful per large veg), add salt if desired, then roll into egg sized ball and mash flat between two pieces of plastic wrap or silicon mat or similar. Cook on hot dry skillet 30 seconds each side, flipping three or four times until lightly scorched and puffed in the center. Let rest in sealed container a few minutes, then serve.

(Works best if the mashed veg is not too wet. Microwaving or steaming recommended. If boiling, drain thoroughly.)

[sialiaskitchen]

Make rice better: add a few drops of toasted sesame oil to the pot while fluffing the cooked rice, and then sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top when serving.

[sialiaskitchen]

Honey Chili Lime Salad Dressing (ok for Passover)

Blend equal parts honey, olive oil, lime juice ( or balsamic or cider vinegar if you don't have limes) and then add (to taste) powdered chili pepper, garlic, onion powder and salt. Blend until emulsified. Thin with water, if needed.

[sialiasnest]

Trying out the squashes: Castillo squash, aka Cinderella pumpkin.

Huge monster squash to feed a village. I bought only 1/4 squash and I don't know what I will do with so much squash, but listen: this is the real deal. Pure pumpkiny goodness. Flavor is superb. Carmelizes beautifully in oven, and the juice it leaks onto the pan is amazing: use a deep dish to catch it, not a flat baking sheet, and don't let the juices scorch. Save and use them

Yes, it does switch from a cantaloupe-like raw texture to something stringy when roasted BUT the strings mash/puree easily into something silky.

I might try cooking down the puree to condense the flavor a bit for pie making: it's very juicy and wet and might need to be a little thicker to make a pie.

But the flavor is awesome and sweet.

I have my first pie in the oven and enough extra puree in the fridge to make several more . Very excited about this: after a couple weeks of squash tasting, this is the first one that cried out to be pie.

UPDATE: huge success. Delicious pie, very silky and creamy, wonderful pumpkin flavor. Definitely need to cook down the puree a bit more, but I have so much pumpkin, I can try several more times .

So very, very orange. Intense color.

Also rinsing out the blender yielded a very drinkable pumpkin juice. Wish I had a bit more of the carmelized pan drippings to go in it, but lesson learned for next time.

So happy with this one! Castillo for the win!

[sialiaskitchen]

Thawed out the jar of puree I froze back in November and made one last pie from this batch. Used piloncillo for the brown sugar part, added an extra egg yolk and it was perfection. Best pumpkin pie I ever made. Very silky, a little caramel-like around the edges.