Batsaria

Batsaria

The cousin to Spanakopita - there is no phyllo in this recipe.  I guess it could be considered the poor woman's version.

2 cups cottage cheese
10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
4 eggs, beaten
6 Tbsp flour

1 cup corn flakes (topping)

I did not have cottage cheese so I substituted this two cups with 3/4 cup of ricotta and 1 1/4 cups homemade Greek yogurt.

Combine all ingredients sans corn flakes.  Mix well.  Poor into greased baking dish and top with about 1 cup of crushed corn flakes.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Oh my, it's super easy and oh so tasty.

Use that whey left over from making your Greek yogurt to make flakey biscuits.  Perfect.

Croissants

This is a simple recipe but it takes a long time to make as the longer you refrigerate your dough the flaker it is.

Add to bread machine:
1 cup warm water (90-100 degrees)
3 Tbsp butter
Mixture of:
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp dry milk
3 Tbsp sugar
Create hole in flour mix without hitting the water and add:
3 Tsp yeast
Put bread machine on dough cycle. Start.

You will also need 3/4 cup of butter for next section.

Turn dough into a greased medium sized bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll to 15x12.  With long side towards you cover 2/3 of dough with butter (thin slices or spread it).  Fold the unbuttered third over the center buttered third and then fold again over the remaining third.  Seal the ends.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Cover with wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll to 15x12.  Fold in 1/3 from each end.  Place back on cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight.  If you choose to shortcut you can refrigerate for 4 hours but this will be less flakey.

Roll to 15x12.  Cut into thirds both lengthwise and width-wise (you will have 9 rectangles).  Slice each rectangle in half diagonally so that you have 18 triangles.  Roll from fat end to skinny end.  Let rise in a warm spot for about an hour.

Bake 375 for 12-16 minutes.

You just made croissants!  Yum!

Soft Buttered Pretzels

Soft Buttered Pretzels

3-3 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp soft butter

Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, water and butter.  Blend until moistened.  Beat 3 minutes on medium speed with electric mixer.  Stir by hand an additional 1.5-1.75 cups of flour until the dough pulls away from the bowl cleanly.  Knead in the remaining 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of flour on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place for roughly 45 minutes or until double in size.

Spray 2 cookie sheets.  Punch down your dough and divide into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a long rope - about 16 inches long.  Shape into a pretzel and place onto the cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise in that warm spot for about 20 more minutes. While you are waiting, find a low sided saucepan.  You are going to bring 6cups water and 1/4 cup baking soda to a light boil. Be sure you use this ratio as you don't want that baking soda taste. Preheat your oven to 400 degree and move the rack to the highest position.  Gently drop the pretzels into the lightly boiling soda water.  Boil for 15 seconds on each side. Make sure it's not more than 15 seconds as you might have soggy ickyness.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place back on the greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with pretzel salt or poppy seeds.

Bake 8 minutes and brush with melted butter.  Bake an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately remove from the cookie sheet and brush generously with the remaining butter.

Makes 12 yummy-ummmy soft pretzels!

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli


2 cups cubed (or shredded) chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 Tbsp Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 sheet of puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook your chicken - cube or shred to your delight.
Stir chicken, blue cheese, and hot sauce in a bowl. 
Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. This is easiest if it is not completely thawed as it will be less likely to completely stick to itself.  Roll the sheet into a roughly 10x14 rectangle.
Short side facing you...spoon the chicken mix down the center of the pastry.  Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and seal.  Place the pastry seam side down onto a baking sheet.  Tuck the ends under.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut in quarters and serve.

I've tried this as a calzone with pizza crust but these puff pastry sheets are really the best.  I found Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry sheets in the freezer aisle.  You can also use mini phillo dough cups, also found in the freezer aisle, to make individual treats for a fun event item.

If you can find "Shullsburg, Wisconsin Cheese - Crumbled Blue Cheese" - all the better - your taste buds will thank you.  I can only find mine at the local Wal-Mart and not on a consistent basis.  I have taken this as a sign that buffalo chicken is a special treat not a daily meal. :)

Enjoy!

Inside Out Cabbaage Rolls

Inside Out Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Ok so, I'm not even going to pretend like I came close to following this recipe.  It may not look great but that's simply because I cannot stuff whatever needs stuffing.  I learned this when I tried to stuff chicken breasts...can't do it.  Well, same thing with a cabbage leaf...it doesn't stay shut.  So, basically this was an inside out recipe.  I'll give you the recipe with modifications since giving you the recipe and then listing the modifications might take forever.  I used the slow cooker and it has cabbage other than that I'm pretty sure nothing matches.

1 large cabbage head - if you want to make rolls then use the big leaves 
1 small cabbage head - if you are roll ignorant then just chop up the cabbage into bite sized pieces

Cook the cabbage and drain well if you don't use a steamer. 

1 8oz can tomato paste
2 cups cooked brown rice
15 crushed saltine crackers
1 lightly beaten egg
1 one oz package onion soup mix

Mix these ingredients.  Feel free to add peppers or onions too if you wish.

1 1/2 lb uncooked ground beef

Crumble meat over the rice/tomato paste mix.

If you are doing the roll route - put about 1/3 cup of mix on a cabbage leaf and roll. If not, mix in the cut up cabbage and put in the slow cooker.


After your mix or rolls are in the slow cooker add:

1 46oz can tomato juice or V8

Slow cook for 6-7 hours.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and indulge.

Yum.
 

Honey Walnut Chicken

Honey Walnut chicken

Super simple, quick, and tasty meal.

One lb chicken cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup corn starch
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Toast the walnuts (add more if you are a nut lover like me) with brown sugar in some oil.  Remove and drain on paper towel if necessary.

Mix together the corn starch and egg until blended.  I also added some flour just cuz.  Add your raw chicken pieces to this mix.  This is your batter.  Let it soak for a minute or two. 

Heat a gurgle of oil on medium heat and cook your chicken until browned.  

Meanwhile make your sauce:
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Once chicken is done browning remove to drain the oil and then return the chicken to the pan.  Add the sauce and the walnuts and mix.  Warm as needed.  

Serve over rice or a veggie like broccoli or brussel sprouts works too.

Enjoy.
 

Molten Lava Cupcakes

Molten Lava Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter
4 oz favorite semisweet chocolate (or 25 Dove Promises)
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease cupcake tin or place cupcake liners of your choice.  Melt butter and chocolate over low heat.  Let cool.
Beat eggs, sugar and flour.  Add cooled chocolate mix to egg mix.

Pour into cupcake pan.  Bake for 10 minutes which should mean that the cake appears done.  You, of course, cannot use the toothpick check as the innards are supposed to be soft and undone.

Let cool slightly and indulge.  Be sure to serve before your meal...you know, just in case...cuz you so don't want to miss out on this dessert.  If you make it through dinner then you can have dessert again! :)

I had no idea.  I thought there was some trick where you put chocolate inside or maybe you piped some in.  I made them and then was all what the...they are supposed to be ooey gooey...while I broke one in half and Eeeeeeee!  OOOEEEY GOOEEEY!!!  Impromptu dance of joy!

Add berries. Add ice cream. Or just eat as is.  Good "cold" as well but best if you nuke it even for just 6 seconds to get it all warm and ooey gooey again!  Super easy to split the recipe in half...wait, why would I do that????  :)

Ooey Gooey Super Easy Chocolate.  Yes, I am the Queen, and if you want to be part of my queendom - you may become my jester.  You want ooey gooey chocolate? Dance, Jester, Dance!