This is my riff on Galaktoboureko, the lovely Greek pastry of layers of phyllo dough filled with custard, topped with more layers of phyllo, soaked in a sugary syrup and baked until golden. I use mini phyllo cups available in the freezer sections of most grocery stores, but you could certainly line mini muffin pans with sheets of phyllo instead.
Makes about 60
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup semolina flour
1 Tbl cornstarch
A pinch of salt
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 Tbl fresh orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 packages mini phyllo (fillo) shells (15 per pack)
1/2 cup walnuts toasted in a 350F oven for 5 minutes and then chopped
Honey for drizzling
Whisk the semolina, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan begin slowly heating the milk to boiling. While watching the milk, beat the eggs with an electric mixer, add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until fluffy.
Once the milk comes up to the boil, whisk in the semolina mixture and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and just starts to boil again. Take off the heat and let rest for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the egg/sugar mixture, vanilla and orange zest.
Place the mini phyllo cups on baking sheets and fill each with the custard, almost to the top.
Bake in a 350F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until the custard is set.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the walnuts and then drizzle each cup with a few drops of honey.
Over the weekend I roasted a turkey for the first time in years...as I think I've told you that we have been frying them for years....but when I saw this recipe on the FOOD52 website, I was intrigued...a turkey that didn't need to be basted? It was magnificent and all credit goes to fellow FOOD52'r sdebrango. She is a wonderful cook and has posted great recipes on FOOD52. Take a look at this roast turkey recipe and all of sdebrango's other recipes on the site while you're there. And Thank You so much sdebrango!!
http://food52.com/recipes/14669_butter_and_herb_roast_turkey
Here's a nice little roast for about 4 people..I served it with a garden pea risotto..if you don't have pancetta, feel free to use bacon.
For the stuffing:
1 Tbl olive oil
3 ounces sliced pancetta cut into a fine dice
2 cups diced mushrooms (your choice)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Marsala wine
In a large saute pan, cook the pancetta in the olive oil until almost crisp. Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook until the mushrooms brown a bit.
Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, basil salt and pepper until all is combined. Moisten with the Marsala and set aside while you prep the tenderloin.
Putting it together:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 pounds, butterflied lengthwise and the pounded with a meat mallet to form a rectangle about 6 by 12 inches
1/2 tsp porcini powder (dried porcini mushrooms, pulverised)
1/2 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Olive oil for rubbing the roast
The previously made stuffing
Spread the stuffing mixture lengthwise down the center of the butterflied tenderloin and then roll the roast and tie with butcher string to secure.
Rub the entire roll with olive oil and the combine the porcini powder, ground fennel, salt and pepper and rub that over the roast.
In a large non stick saute pan, sear the roast on all sides until well browned.
Roast in a preheated 350F oven in an open roaster for 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before removing the string and slicing.
The weather is starting to turn so time for bowls of hearty belly warming soup. This one uses some collards, tomatoes , parsley and basil from the end of my garden.
2 cups dried chick peas, soaked in water overnight and then cooked for about an hour (alternatively use 2 cans (14 to 15 ounces, drained and rinsed)
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 Italian sausages (hot or mild) casings removed (about 12 ounces)
2 Tbl olive oil
2 medium fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
8 cups chicken broth
5 cups baby spinach leaves
5 cups chopped collard greens which have been braised in water for 8 to 10 minutes
10 large fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
3/4 cup chopped flay leaf parsley
Salt and pepper for re seasoning if necessary
Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and Italian sausage in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 15 to 20 times until the mixture resembles a coarse paste.
heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the processed mixture, the fennel seed, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently until the sausage loses its pink color and you can see the onions softening.
Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomato seems to disintegrate into the mixture.
Add the chicken broth, bring back to the boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the collards and spinach and continue to cook until the spinach wilts.
Stir in the parsley and basil and re season with the s&p if necessary.
Growing up we always called these Bulgarian pork chops...now I don't know if they are Bulgarian or not, but they sure make for a great dinner. We love them with mashed potatoes.
4 bone in pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick,seasoned with salt and pepper
3 Tbl olive oil, divided
1 very large onion, cut up coarsely
1 very large green bell pepper cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 very large red bell pepper cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbl sweet paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with a few Tbl water to make a slurry
In a large frying pan with a lid, brown the chops in 2 Tbl of the olive oil on both sides. Remove from the pan.
Add the third Tbl oil to the pan and add the onions, peppers and garlic and saute until the onions just begin to get a little brown on the edges.
Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper.
Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and return the chops to the pan.
Spoon some of the sauce over the chops and simmer, covered for about 45 minutes until the chops are very tender.
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer a couple of more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
I made hash for dinner the other night with our leftover standing rib roast. It took me back to when I was a kid...for years Monday night dinner was a fast hot dog meal because my mom was totally involved in the PTA and meetings were Mondays. As time went on and my folks were making a little more money, Sunday dinner went from roast chicken to standing beef rib roast and the leftovers went to roast beef hash....My pic of the hash was terrible, but this is the tomato I served with it...called a pineapple tomato, it was sweet, juicy and delicious! Serve the hash with a fried egg on top if you like..
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced roast beef (1/2 inch dice) either leftover or from the deli
4 cups 1/2 inch diced potatoes (par boiled for about 5 minutes)
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1/4 to 1/2 cup beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saute pan start sauteing the beef in the olive oil. After a couple of minutes add the potatoes, onions and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes finish cooking, stirring it all up now and again. When all is cooked add some of the beef broth to bring it all together. Season generously with salt and pepper.(we like pepper!!)
I know I haven't posted much this past week, but for good reason...my brother was in town from Baton Rouge and so most of my cooking revolved around some of his favorites which you've seen on this site. For his farewell dinner, however, I gussied up a standing beef rib roast. Yum!
For the roasted garlic and bacon paste:
3 heads of garlic, top third cut off, drizzled with a Tbl of olive oil, wrapped loosely in foil and roasted at 350F for an hour.
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/3 cup bacon fat, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and place them in a mini food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth and set aside.
For the roast and pan sauce:
5 pounds standing beef rib roast, cradled if possible, and at room temperature
10 fresh button or baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbl butter
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
A couple of Tbl butter for finishing the pan sauce
The roasted garlic and bacon paste
In a 9 by 13 inch open roasting pan place the shallots, 1/2 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup of the wine and stir. Place the roast over the mixture, bones facing down.
Brush the top and sides of the roast with the roasted garlic and bacon paste.
Place the roast, uncovered in a 450F preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temp to 350F and continue to roast for one hour. At this point add 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup wine to the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast until the internal temp reaches about 125F to 130F for medium rare. Depending on your oven this could take another 15 to 30 minutes.
While the beef is roasting, saute the mushrooms in the 3 Tbl butter until nicely browned.
When the roast is done, place it on a cutting board, tented with foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
While the roast rests, place the roasting pan over 2 burners on your stove. There should be nicely browned shallots sitting on the bottom. Add the sauteed mushrooms, crumbled bacon and the remaining wine and broth and simmer, whisking as you go until the sauce has reduced a bit. Whisk in the 2 Tbl butter for a super rich sauce and serve over the sliced beef.
These little appetizers are so easy to make and so good to eat. You can make the roll ahead of time and freeze and just thaw, slice and bake when ready to serve.
12 ounces mushrooms(your choice) chopped finely
4 Tbl butter
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 sheet puff pastry from a 17.3 ounce package
In a large saute pan,, cook the mushrooms in the butter with the thyme, salt and pepper until the mushrooms give off their liquid and begin to dry a bit. Let cool.
Roll the pastry sheet into a uniform rectangle about 10 by 12 inches.
Spread the mushroom mixture over the entire sheet and then starting at the long end, roll the sheet up jelly roll fashion.
Refrigerate for about twenty minutes before slicing crosswise about 1/4 inch.
Bake at 425F on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. Or wrap the unbaked roll and freeze for another day.
A fellow Food52 Community member posted a recipe a couple of weeks ago that intrigued me. He listed the ingredients which included olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, ground fennel seed and anchovies, but no amounts. I played around with it a bit and made the pasta with the original ingredients and loved it and then added a few fresh ingredients and came up with this one... very flavorful.
1/4 cup olive oil
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 cup diced fresh fennel bulb
1 medium leek ( white and light green parts) quartered lengthwise and then cut crosswise in small pieces.
1 cup ( about i medium) seeded diced tomato
1 cup chicken broth
4 anchovy fillets,, minced
8 ounces dry pasta, cooked according to package directions
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan shavings for garnish
In a large saute pan heat the oil, add the garlic and red pepper and saute for a minute. Add the fennel powder and then the leek and fresh fennel and continue to saute until the leek softens.
Add the tomato and cook a couple of minutes until the tomato softens.
Add the anchovy and chicken broth, bring up to a simmer and simmer for just a few minutes. Check for salt and pepper.
Add the cooked pasta, stir around a bit and place in a serving bowl.
Garnish with the Parmesan.
