Glazed Apple French Toast

It's the weekend which means a great brunch is probably on the cards at our house. This one is a personal favorite of mine. The apples are glazed with an apple juice and demerara sugar reduction reduction which intensifies the great apple flavour. I like Gala apples best for this recipe because they hold up to the heat well and don't get mushy quickly. Granny Smith's are also a good option but a little more tart.

Serves 4

8 slices of french bread

4 eggs

1/3 cup whipping cream or milk

pinch salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and vanilla. Let the bread soak in this mixture for a few minutes to absorb as  much as possible. Fry in butter over medium-low high heat until golden brown. You dont want to fry these too quickly.

Glazed Apples

In a large non-stick saute pan heat together for a minute or two over medium high heat:

3 tbsp butter

4 tbsp demerara sugar (or brown sugar)

Add

1 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the volume reduces by at least half before adding 

2 to 3 apples peeled, cored and thickly sliced

Boil until the glazes reduces and becomes thick and sticky. Serve over the french toast.

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Parmesan Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches

Today's offering is more of a serving suggestion rather than a recipe, I guess. I was at home alone the other day while Spouse took the kids back to school shopping. I poked my nose in the fridge to see what was there to skivver up a decent lunch. I found one leftover grilled chicken breast, a single grilled flatbread and a little ramekin of roasted tomato jam. I also grabbed some grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and plucked some fresh oregano from the garden to make this outstanding flatbread sandwich. I'm planning them again for this weekend. Here's how it went together:

For each sandwich you will need:

1 grilled chicken breast, sliced

1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 sprigs oregano leaves

1/3 cup roasted tomato jam (Find that recipe here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/roasted-tomato-and-grilled-chicken.html )

1 grilled flatbread (Find the flatbread recipe here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/grilled-flatbreads-garlic-oil-and.html )

Spread the roasted tomato jam over the flatbread. Place chicken slices on one side; top the chicken with the oregano then the cheeses. Pop the sandwich under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese. Fold the sandwich together, slice it in half and enjoy.

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The Best Vanilla Cake

The best vanilla cake recipe is something every curious baker spends plenty of time searching for. I've tried dozens over the years and have conducted many experiments, tweaking each recipe trying to get the result I want. This one is the best I've tried so far. It is quite moist and has a good density but not as dense as pound cake. I like the balance of texture that is achieved by using a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour.

One essential ingredient in this recipe is real dairy butter; margarine just won't cut it. I've used whipping cream in other recipes but this one gets a lot of richness from using undiluted evaporated milk instead. Finally, the vanilla flavouring is crucial. DO NOT use artificial vanilla flavouring! In fact NEVER use it! Use the best quality, real vanilla extract that you can find for real, exotically fragrant vanilla cake.

The frosting on this cake is a family favorite which goes by many names but is referred to at our house as Marshmallow Frosting. It has been featured several times on this site. You can find it in our terrific recipe for Black and White Cake here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/black-and-white-cake.html . It is the perfect frosting for this cake.

Sift together and set aside:

1 & 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Cream together until fluffy:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every additioon;

4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to overbake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost with Marshmallow Frosting and serve, http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/black-and-white-cake.html

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Steak and Barley Soup

I still save all of the bones and meat trimmings from chicken and beef to make my own stocks for soups and stews. You can always find ziploc bags in  my freezer filled with bones from all sorts of steaks and roasts and ribs that I roast off to make deeply intense stocks. If I'm having T-Bone steak off the grill, I cut the meat off the bone before serving just to save it  for stock  (sad I know). I don't buy bonesless chicken breasts either; I cut the breasts off the bone myself so that I can have the bones for chicken stock. "No flavour wasted" has always been my motto and I love having great homemade stock on hand as a reward for my efforts.

I like the oven method for making stock where I roast off all my bones first with salt pepper and onions, garlic and sliced carrots and some fresh herbs. I then cover them with water and slow braise them for a couple of hours in the oven. I find that his makes for a deeper colored richer stock which is also, because of the very slow simmer, generally more clear and less cloudy than the stovetop method.

I've put my beef stock to good use here in a slight twist on Beef and Barley Soup. Instead of browning beef and using that as a base for the soup, I grill steak to medium rare, let it rest, then slice it very thin before placing some slices in a bowl and pouring the boiling soup over it. I love this method because the beef stays so very tender in the soup, plus grilling the beef adds even more flavour to this beautiful soup.

Serves 6-8

3  striploin steaks,1 & 1/2 inches thick, well trimmed
salt and pepper to season

Sear the steak for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let the steaks rest for at least 10 minutes. Cut accross the grain in very thin slices.

12 cups good beef stock
3 large carrots, cut in coins or sticks
3 large parsnip, cut in coins or sticks
1 tsp dried ground thyme
1/2 cup barley
salt and pepper to season
1/2 of a whole nutmeg grated
3 cloves minced garlic

Simmer stock, thyme, nutmeg, salt, pepper, garlic and barley together over medium low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure the barley does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the carrot and parsnip and simmer for about another 15 minutes or until the barley is fully cooked and the vegetables are fork tender.

Add several slices of the steak to the bottom of each individual serving bowl, ladel the hot soup over the meat and serve.

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Glory Glory It's Morning Muffins from "George House Heritage B&B Kitchen Recipes"

Today's recipe comes from Flanker Press's freshly published George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast Kitchen Recipes by Todd Warren and Dale Cameron. Dale and Todd are the owners/operators of The George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast, a gorgeously decorated 125 year old home in the quiet little Trinity Bay town of Dildo, about an hour's drive outside of St. John's. The cookbook is the realization of their efforts to bring the recipes for the great food at the B&B to the printed page.

The authors describe the book as, " A taste-tempting cookbook of more than 300 tried, tested, and true recipes including many Newfoundland favourites and old-time classic recipes...". With recipes included from great B&B fare like Country Apple Pancakes to Newfoundland traditional favorite Pea Soup and Doughboys, the book offers great, simple home-style cooking recipes from appetizers to desserts. For those of you outside the province, the book is available online from the Dildo Trading Post .

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

3 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrot

3/4 cu coconut, flaked or shredded

1 large apple, shredded

1/3 cup nuts

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F  In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold the combined dry ingredients into the egg and oil mixture until partially incorporated before adding the carrot, apple, raisins, coconut and nuts and folding until well combined but be careful not to overmix the batter. In the photo above, I've sprinkled extra nuts on top before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The recipe also makes mention of the fact that these muffins freeze very well. Yeilds about 18-24 muffins.

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Steak Cheddar and Tomato Panini with Rosemary Parmesan Mayo

This delicious panini was another plan-ahead meal I enjoyed for lunch one day last week after a grilled steak dinner the evening before. I purposely grilled an extra striploin steak to ensure there would be leftovers to make it. Even if you prefer your steak well done, it is better to cook the steak only to rare or medium because it will be subjected to more heat in the panini press and will cook a little more there.

With the backyard grill seeing regualr use these days and juicy, fresh tomatoes available in the markets, this great sandwich is a naturally easy way to plan a quick panini to share for lunch; it is also hearty enough to  provide a full and satisfying dinner too. I wouldn't object to a little crisp smoked bacon on this one either. The homemade mayo really sets this one apart; absolutely delicious!

Ciabatta bread

grilled rare steak, very thinly sliced

sliced fresh tomatoes

sliced aged cheddar

whole grain dijon mustard

Rosemary Parmesan Mayo

Split the ciabatta bread and spread one side with a little dijon mustard and the other side with the Rosemary Parmesan Mayonnaise. Add thinly sliced steak, tomato slices and cheddar. Add the top layer of ciabatta bread and place in a panini press until the cheese has melted and the bread is crispy.

Rosemary Parmesan Mayonnaise

In a blender or food processor combine until thick and pale in color

2 large or extra large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
A pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Add oil alternately with lemon juice in three parts, adding the oil very slowly in a thin stream.
About 1 cup canola oil
Juice of half a large lemon

Add all of the lemon juice to the recipe but when the mayonnaise reaches the right consistency that you prefer for dipping you may not have to use all of the canola oil. If it gets too thick you can thin it by adding a little water a teaspoon at a time

To the mayonnaise you can stir in
1 tbsp freshly rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Store any leftover mayonnaise in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 24 hours. I also often make only a half recipe of mayo if I won't be able to use it all within a day.

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Phyllo Chicken & Herb Roulade with Roasted Tomato Jam

This is one of my favorite recipes for a dinner party; in fact I've used it twice this past month when entertaining friends. I like it so much because it really is pretty easy, looks great on the plate and all of the preparation can be done in advance. I just pull the cookie sheet with the wrapped chicken breasts from the fridge and pop it into the oven for only about 30-40 minutes before serving; just enough time for a pre-dinner drink and hors oeuvre's. We served it last time with some Sweet Potato Mash and Lemon Buttered Asparagus.

I've also made extra of these in the past and frozen them uncooked. They thaw and cook up quite well, so make enough to serve another great easy meal later. The Roasted Tomato Jam also freezes really well and can almost always be found in my freezer.

Roasted Tomato Jam

6 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Toss together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has reduced off the tomatoes are the consistency of jam.

Phyllo Chicken & Herb Roulade

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I've used basil, oregano, sage and chives here.)
2 cloves very finely minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup melted butter

Begin by butterfly cutting the chicken breasts and laying them flat on the cutting board. Alternatively you can place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound the chicken out to a half inch thickness with a flat mallet. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Mix together the herbs, garlic and olive oil into a paste. Divide the herb mixture between the four chicken breasts and spread all over the entire surface of the pieces. Roll the chicken breasts up and set aside.

The phyllo sheets I use measure about 12x18 inches which I cut in half to make 12x9 inch sheets; I use 4 of these half sheets per chicken breast. Brush each sheet with melted butter and stack 4 of them together. Place one rolled chicken breast in the center of the shorter side of the phyllo sheets near the edge. Bring the two longer sides on the phyllo up over the ends of the chicken breasts and then roll the chicken breast up. (Similar to the method used to make spring rolls.) Place the wrapped chicken breast, seam side down, on a silicone or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes depending upon the size of the chicken breasts you use. I use a meat thermometer to test them and make sure that the temperature at the center of the chicken breasts is 175 degrees F or greater before taking them out of the oven. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with the roasted tomato jam.

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Herb and Goat Cheese Pinwheels and Watermelon Lime Punch

At this time of year we often entertain in the garden and even if guests come to dinner, drinks and hors d'ouevres are almost always served on the back deck. Because our deck is at the bottom of a terraced garden, it is a pretty sheltered spot, even from the cooler evening summer breezes we sometimes get here in Newfoundland. We've often planned an inside evening with friends only to find the gathering eventually drift outside. "Pub Grub" evenings in the garden are always a favorite with friends where we serve wings, grilled flatbread pizzas, sliders, ribs or pulled pork sandwiches with favorite beverages.

 

Today we have a couple of simple recipes that we've served in our outdoor garden space just this past week. The first is a delicious summer punch made from fresh watermelon, lime and mint. This is a very refreshing drink on a hot day and for kids and parents alike but the adults tend to like a spash of vodka or light rum in this one too.

The second is a very simple and quick hor's d'ouevre made with fresh herbs from the garden, goat cheese and readily availble frozen puff pastry. I make these as little turnovers too but they are also very good as small pinwheels as shown in the photo below.

Watermelon Lime Punch

3 cups cubed seedless watermelon

1 1/2  cups ice cubes

juice of one lime

3 tbsp honey

4 sprigs crushed fresh mint leaves

sparkling water (optional)

4 ounces vodka or light rum (optional)

Place all ingredients except mint leaves in a blender and blend well until the ice is well crushed. Crush the mint springs just by twisting the leaves just to release their flavor. Place a spring in each glass and pour the punch over the crushed mint.

Goat Cheese and Herb Pinwheels

2 sheets frozen puff pastry

1 cup goat cheese

4 tbsp whipping cream

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs

1 tsp crushed black pepper

Mix together all ingredients except the puff pastry until well blended.

Cut the puff pastry into 1/2 inch wide strips. Twist two pieces of pastry together and then lay the pastry down in a tight spiral shape onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Spoon a rounded teaspoonful of the goat cheese mixture on each pastry. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

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Brioche Toutons with Blueberry Honey Sauce

Here's a very sucessful experiment that I tried last week when making brioche for a bread pudding I had planned for a dinner party. Here in Newfoundland we love our "toutons" which are  pieces of white bread dough, traditionally fried in fat back pork. I usually fry mine in an olive oil/butter combination these days. ( Find my original touton recipe here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/05/toutons.html )

The brioche dough needs to be fried at a lower temperature than regular toutons because of the sugar content; they will brown much faster. I fried these at 325 degrees F. The blueberry honey sauce is a very simple but very delicious addition to these fancified toutons which turn out almost like homemade donuts. Well worth the try.

Find the Brioche dough recipe here:

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/brioche.html

Divide the dough into about 2 ounce balls, rolling each one out to about a half inch thickness. Allow the dough pieces to rise on an oiled cookie sheet for about a half hour in a warm kitchen before frying them as slowly as possible in canola oil. Allow toutons to rest and cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving with the Blueberry Honey sauce.

Blueberry Honey Sauce

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer together for just a few minutes

3 cups blueberries

1/2 cup honey

Thicken the sauce with a slurry of

1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1 ounce water

Cook together stirring constantly for an additional minute before serving over the warm toutons.

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