Friday, May 28, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Healthier, Kosher, Whole Wheat Rugelach
From the look at the picture you might be saying to yourself, This looks too complicated...There is no way I can make this...This is going to take a long time. If you are thinking any of these things, you are wrong. The recipe I am about to explain to you is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. On top of that it was fun and allows you to become creative in the kitchen. If you are a lover of Rugelach and wouldn't eat it because you know how bad it is for you, PLEASE try this recipe. As an added bonus I made sure this recipe is kosher considering this cookie is traditionally a Jewish pastry. Now remember, I do not measure when I bake and cook, so some of the ingredients listed are estimates of what was used. It is up to you, the cook, to figure out the exact amounts.
Ingredients needed for these amazing cookies
For Dough:
- 1 8oz package of low fat cream cheese
- 1 stick of organic butter
- 3/4 cup of organic cane sugar
- 2 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
For Filling:
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/8 cup cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- Finely Chopped Walnuts
- 1/8 cup canola oil
Miscellaneous:
- 1 egg
- Confectioner's Sugar
Cooking Instructions
To make the dough, using a hand mixer, first cream the cream cheese, butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Next add the flour in 3 equal increments. Start by mixing with a spoon. Once it gets too hard to mix, wash your hands, and dig in. You will know you have added enough flour once the dough becomes less sticky and pretty firm. This is when you cover and put in the fridge for an hour.
While the dough is in the fridge, its time to mix the filling. This is where you can get creative. You can come up with and unlimited number of fillings. Some traditional ones are, chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, walnut, and apricot preserves. For my recipe, I have made a combination of Cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts. Simply mix the dry ingredients of the filling listed above. Then add the canola oil and mix until it covers the entire mixture evenly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough out of the fridge and split into 3 even amounts. Take one of the dough balls and roll into a circle. You want this to be about a 12 inch thin circle. Next, spread the filling on top of the dough covering the radius as best you can. Once this is complete cut the dough with a sharp knife into the following:
Starting on the thick side roll each section of the dough inward and place on a nonstick pan covered with cooking spray. Brush the top of each cookie with a beaten egg. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top of the cookie begins to brown. Repeat with 2 other dough portions. Let cool, dust with confectioner's sugar, and enjoy. And I know you will. Recipe yields about 48 cookies.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Coming Soon!!!
Recipe Posts Coming Soon Will include:
- "Grilled" Chicken Marsala - Healthier Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Lower Fat Rugelach Recipe (KOSHER)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
How To Store Fresh Mozzarella
Today I bought 2 large pieces of Fresh Mozzarella. Knowing I was not going to be able to eat it all tonight I did some research on how to store it so it will stay decent for more time. First note to take is that if you buy Mozzarella fresh, it is meant to be used that day. Ideally, that isn't always the case. To store it, put it in a container filled with cold water and add a tablespoon of salt, then put in the fridge. The salt is extremely important. It will store for about a week if you follow these directions. Otherwise only about a day. If you do plan to not use it the first day, it is recommended to use it in cooking and not eaten raw. My recommendation for cooking it...Pizza!!! I hope this helps everyone in their future Mozzarella Adventures.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
2007 Volver Tempranillo
This week's Wine of the Week post is The La Mancha 2007 Volver Tempranillo. This is a Spanish wine whose Tempranillo grapes are from the village of La Mesas in La Mancha. It is a heavier wine that has a very good taste, though I would not drink this wine without a food accompaniment. It especially goes well with Spicy Mexican or Spanish food, though it will go just as well with non-spicy Mexican or Spanish Food. I actually ate this with Chicken and Chorizo Tacos and thought it was just perfect. Its cost can range from 16.99 - 19.99 which is not exactly cheap but finding a wine that goes well with Mexican food has been hard for me so the cost was not bothersome. One interesting note about this wine is that its grapes are grown in harsh conditions in "Sandy calcareous clay soil" which are not exactly ideal for grape growing. Because of this, extra care is taken in growing the grapes for this wine. It is also written on the bottle that the wine ages well for many years.
The Husband's Wine Grade: B-
I gave this an B- because it is a great wine for a specific cuisine. Its price does not exactly label it as a cheap wine, but worth the price, drinking more like a $30 bottle of wine. Its availability is not so great and you may have to search a little to find this wine. I had to go to larger size wine stores to find it so be prepared to search. With that being said, I highly recommend taking the time to try and find this wine for the next time you have Mexican or Spanish Food.
Wine Rating System
I have decided to create my own Wine Ratings System. It will be called "The Husband's Wine Grade". A, B, C, D, F. All having the possibility of a + or -. A+ being the best, F being the worst. The Husband's Wine Grade will be composed of a combination of Taste, Price and Availability. I will also be updating the first wine blog with a Wine Grade as well, so you can check back to the first Wine of the Week for an update with a grade. Enjoy!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Cinco De Mayo Ground Chicken Tacos
Ingredients for Ground Chicken Tacos:
99% Fat Free Ground Chicken (What I Use)
Taco Seasoning Mix (What I Use)
Guacamole (My famous Guacamole will be posted at a later date)
Low Fat Mexican Cheese (What I Use)
Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Corn Tortillas
To make the tacos is very simple. In a saute pan with a small amount of Olive Oil, cook ground chicken into crumbles. Mix 1/2 cup of water with seasoning mix. Add to cooked chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes. While simmering, put cheese, guacamole, salsa and shredded lettuce into serving bowls. Heat corn tortillas until they start to become slightly stiff (Will only happen in oven). Put the chicken in a serving bowl and you are ready to enjoy your Cinco de Mayo (or easy any night) dinner. It may not sound like much but they really do fill me up. All I need is 2.
A couple of notes on the recipe
-If you cannot find the 99% Fat Free ground chicken, regular ground chicken will work but will increase the fat considerably. And take it from me the 99% fat free kind tastes great!!
-I use organic seasoning mix, and I recommend it highly. Regular seasoning mix have all sorts of additives such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. Stay away from them.
-I promise, I will post my famous guacamole that everyone talks about. Just need to find the right day. For now you can use any store made guacamole or try making it yourself. There are many recipes out there.
-Make sure to heat the corn tortillas.
-Usually people would drink a nice cold beer with tacos. I do something a little different. I accompanied my tacos with an amazing wine which I will feature in this weeks Wine of The Week. It is perfect for Mexican food.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
BBQ Salmon on a Cedar Plank
Ingredients for BBQ Salmon on a Cedar Plank:
Any kind of Salmon Fillet (About 6 ounces per person)
BBQ Sauce (What I Use)
Cedar Plank
Spray Bottle
Its that simple. First and most important, you must soak the plank in water for 30 minutes or more. I usually let my salmon marinate in the BBQ Sauce while the grill heats (Medium Low Heat) and plank soaks. There is a trick to using the cedar planks and it is important to follow. You must use indirect heat to cook the salmon. If you aren't aware of what this means then basically it is to turn on the two burners that are not directly underneath the salmon causing the heat to circulate around the fish while it cooks. This will help in the cooking process in 2 ways. First, it will slow cook the salmon which will make the salmon have an amazing buttery consistency. Secondly, it will help decrease your chances of the cedar plank catching fire. That is why the spray bottle is in the ingredient list. There is a chance the wood could catch fire. How do you know when the salmon is cooked to your desire? I usually keep the salmon on the grill for 20 minutes. This cooks it to a medium well, though there is no real way to tell if it is the way you like it cooked unless you use a food thermometer or cut into it.
I served this dish with Grilled Chinese Eggplant in a Sweet Chili Sauce and Parmesan roasted fingerling potatoes. I will save these recipes for a later date so keep checking back for those.
A couple of notes on the recipe
- Cedar Planks can be rather expensive. At my supermarket they charge $11 for 2 small planks. I advise buying them online. Amazon sells them for much cheaper.
- You can use any type of salmon that you prefer. In the picture above I used 1 fillet that was Farmed Atlantic Salmon and 1 King Salmon Fillet.
- For more on indirect cooking Click Here
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