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Breads and Desserts, Cuppylicious!, Side Dishes

Fan-tans (Dinner Rolls)

Fan-tans, for guests (made 16)

Fan-tans, for guests (made 16)

Total time:  4 hours.

Adapted from Buttermilk Rolls in the Joy of Cooking.

Makes 12-24, depending on how you want to rock it.

4 c cheap all purpose flour
3/4 c plain yogurt
3/4 c milk
1/4 c sugar
2 T melted butter
1 T active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

4-8 T softened, spreadable butter at room temperature

Combine yogurt and milk, mix well. Spoon out 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk mixture and heat to about 110 F. Stir well and often.

Remove from heat and add yeast, stir well. Let set 3-5 minutes or until frothy.

Stir yeast mix into original yogurt mix. Add baking soda, salt, and sugar, and mix well. Add 2 cups of flour and 2 T melted butter. Stir or mix until incorporated, then add remaining 2 cups of flour.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover (with a towel or greased saran wrap). Let rise until more than doubled in bulk, about 3 hours.

Punch down dough and knead lightly in the bowl. Separate the dough into 2 parts. Roll each part into a square about 1/8 inch think. Let sit 2-3 minutes.

Spread softened butter in a thin layer over both pieces. Cut into strips 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Stack them into 6 or 8 layers. Using an extremely sharp knife or kitchen string, cut pieces off the stacks 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Place cut stack pieces into greased muffin tins, with the cut edges facing up. Cover with towel or greased saran wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size again. (Click here for a great example on how to do this, plus another great fan-tan recipe.)

Bake 15-20 minutes, in a preheated 425 F oven, until well browned.

Most often when I make these, I only make 12 rolls, and the rolls look like stay-puffed marshmallows trying to fit into a thimble. They’re pretty epic, and sometimes they stick together completely, and I can just dump the whole pan upside down to get them out.

Cuppylicious!, Side Dishes, Soup and Salad

Deviled Egg Potato Salad

Deviled Egg Potato Salad

Deviled Egg Potato Salad (Leftovers)

Total time:  2 hours.

Not for Dad. Serves 4-6.

4-5 medium potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs, diced + 2 hard boiled egg yolks
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-2 celery stalks, sliced
1-2 dill pickles, minced
2 tsp pickle juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp ground yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes well, remove sprouts and blemishes, and either peel or don’t peel them. Cut potatoes into bite size or larger cubes. Place potatoes in a large pot, and fill with water 2 inches higher than the highest potato. Cook covered or uncovered 20-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well.

Rinse potatoes with cool water, drain well, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together mayonnaise, hard boiled egg yolks, celery, pickles, pickle juice, dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt, paprika, and optional salt & pepper to taste. Be sure to crush the egg yolks to make them smooth. It should taste on the salty side. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Add potato and egg pieces to the dressing and mix well. Chill for 20-30 minutes to let the flavors settle.

If you’re wanting a picnic salad, you really shouldn’t use eggs.

I use a full teaspoon of salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, so that I don’t have to salt and pepper my salad on my plate. Most people will probably be fine with just 1/2 tsp of salt, though.

Cuppylicious!, Sauces and Dips, Side Dishes, Soup and Salad

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Total time: 8 minutes.

1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup thinly sliced strawberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 green onion, finely chopped

dressing *
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Alternatively, I hear this is really good with pre-made raspberry vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

What a crisp, summer, fresh, wonderful salad!

I mixed up the salad and then drizzled the dressing on top. I put a full 1/2 cup sugar in the dressing, but it was just way too sweet for me. Next time, I’ll chop it in half and add to taste.

I’m glad I didn’t mix the dressing in with the salad… It makes 4 bowls of salad, but the dressing makes enough for 8-12 bowls, depending on how liberal you are with dressing. I’ll definitely adjust that for next time, too.

Cuppylicious!, Sauces and Dips, Side Dishes, The Daring Cooks' Challenge

Tricolor Vegetable Pâté

White Bean Layer

White Bean Layer

Total time:  1 hour, plus overnight chilling.

The June 2010 Daring Cook’s Challenge was hosted by Evelyne, of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie, of The Chocolate Bunny, and they chose delicious pâté with freshly baked bread.

I served my vegetable pâtés as individual pâté instead of a layered block. I’ve included the red pepper recipe I skipped, as well as my version of the other two layers.

Yields one 25 by 12,5 cm (10 by 5 inch) terrine or loaf pan

Line your pan with plastic wrap, overlapping sides.

White Bean Layer
16 ounces cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained thoroughly
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 garlic cloves, pressed
salt and pepper to taste

Boil beans in large saucepan for 30-60 minutes, until soft. Drain thoroughly. Mash beans in large bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of prepared pan.

Red Pepper Layer
7-ounce / 210 ml jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped
3/4 cup / 180 ml crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

Combine peppers and feta in processor and blend until smooth. Spread pepper mixture evenly over bean layer in prepared dish.

Pesto Layer

Pesto Layer

Pesto Layer
2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, partially drained

Mince garlic in processor. Add basil, parsley and pine nuts and mince. With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube and process until smooth. Mix in ricotta. Spread pesto evenly over red pepper layer.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To unmold, invert pâté onto serving platter. Peel off plastic wrap from pâté. Garnish with herb sprigs and serve with sourdough bread slices.

I lined my cupcake tin with saran wrap, placed pecans and almond slivers in the bottom of some cups, then filled them with bean, pea or pesto mash. After chilling in the refrigerator overnight, I gently flipped them out onto my cutting board to make cute little mini pâtés.

I kept them in the freezer until an hour before I was going to use them. Over the course of few weeks, I tried each of these with pita bread, whole wheat bread toast, and a variety of crackers. The bean layer tasted best with some cream cheese on a pita, and the pesto layer tasted great on everything (I love basil and pine nuts).

Sauces and Dips, Side Dishes, The Daring Cooks' Challenge

Pea Pâté

Pea pâté

Pea pâté

Total time:  30 minutes, plus optional overnight chilling

The June 2010 Daring Cook’s Challenge was hosted by Evelyne, of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie, of The Chocolate Bunny, and they chose delicious pâté with freshly baked bread.

Adapted from Sesame Sweet Pea Spread in 356 Ways to Cook Vegetarian by Kitty Morse.

10 ounces petite peas
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion and garlic until softened (3-4 minutes). Add peas, sherry, and salt. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until peas are soft (4-5 minutes). Stir in lemon juice, and let cool 5 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree pea mixture. Add tahini and process until well blended.

Pea Pâté with Pecans

Pea Pâté with Pecans

Serve chilled, formed or not.

I lined my cupcake tin with saran wrap, placed a pair of pecans in one cup, then filled them with pea mash. After chilling in the refrigerator overnight, I gently flipped them out onto my cutting board to make cute little mini pâtés.

This was the recipe I selected instead of doing the roasted red peppers from the DC challenge recipe. Maybe it was the sherry, maybe it was the tahini, I’m not quite sure, but something just didn’t seem right tasting to me after it chilled in the refrigerator. I liked it better warm, as a spread, than cold as a pâté.

Cuppylicious!, Eastern Mediterranean, Ethnic Foods, Meat, Poultry, Side Dishes, Soup and Salad

Lemon Chicken and Bulgur Salad

Bulgur Chicken Salad

Bulgur Chicken Salad

Total time:  20 minutes, plus chicken cooking time

Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine (March/April 2010).

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup fine-grain bulgur wheat
1/4 cup almond slivers, toasted
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Place bulgur in a small-medium bowl. Add chicken broth to bulgur and let set for 5-10 minutes, until most or all of the broth has been absorbed.

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Add shredded chicken, and mix well to coat. Add almonds and mint, toss to coat. Add bulgur and mix well.

Serve cold or room temperature.

Cuppylicious!, Eastern Mediterranean, Ethnic Foods, Side Dishes, Soup and Salad, The Daring Cooks' Challenge

Almost Turkish Piyaz

Almost Turkish Piyaz

Almost Turkish Piyaz

Total time:  Approximately 15 minutes.

Adapted from Burcu’s Antalya Bean Salad (Antalya Usulü Piyaz) on Almost Turkish Recipes.

2 cups of cooked northern beans
1/2 onion, cut finely in half-moons
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp crushed pepper
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or diced

Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Mix together dressing ingredients, set aside.

In a small bowl, knead onion slices with 1 tsp salt. Rinse and drain.

In a medium large bowl, mix together beans and onions. Stir in dressing, coat well. Fold in parsley and eggs. Sprinkle with crushed red peppers.

Serve chilled or room temperature.

Cuppylicious!, Eastern Mediterranean, Ethnic Foods, Side Dishes, Soup and Salad, The Daring Cooks' Challenge

Mama Fatima’s Tabouli

Tabouli

Tabouli

Total time:  35 minutes.

Adapted from Holy Land Brand’s website.

2 cups dry bulgur wheat
2 cups very hot water
1 cucumber, chopped and blotted with paper towel
1-3 small tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups fresh chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients, set aside.

Soak the wheat in the hot water until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess water, if necessary, and squeeze dry.  I normally take this time to chop up all my vegetables.

Combine the salad ingredients, including wheat, in a large bowl. Gently stir dressing into the salad.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes about 8 cups, 12 to 16 servings.

This made a whole lot of salad. We ate it for almost 4 days, with lots of help from friends, in pita bread with other assorted yummies. I’ll definitely be halving this recipe in the future (I don’t think quartering it will work very easily).

Cuppylicious!, Ethnic Foods, Side Dishes, Thai

Curried Pot Stickers

Army of Pot Stickers

Army of Pot Stickers

Total time:  Plan on 2 hours your first time.

Adapted from Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott.

3/4 c cooked mashed potatoes
3/4 c cooked mashed sweet potatoes
15-20 Ritz crackers, crumbled
2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
1/3 c cilantro, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

gyoza (or wonton) wrappers or dough
3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying
1-2 c vegetable stock
water for fingertips

In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, cracker crumbs, onions, cilantro, egg and seasonings.

Place two teaspoons to one tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan (preferably one with a snug-fitting lid) on medium-high heat. Arrange as many pot stickers as you can in the frying pan, and fry until bottoms are golden (2-3 minutes). Add 1/4 cup vegetable stock and cover quickly and tightly. Cook until the water has boiled itself away (about 3 minutes). Repeat for remaining pot stickers.

I served this with double soy sweet and sour sauce and white rice. (Go there to see a picture of the cooked pot stickers.)

I can fit 11-12 dumplings in my frying pan, if I’m using wonton wrappers. This exact recipe made 42 dumplings for me.

Daring Cooks can reference the pot sticker challenge from June 2009 for more information on homemade gyoza dough, details on pleating and alternative cooking instructions.

Cuppylicious!, Seafood, Side Dishes

Seafood-stuffed Lemons

Seafood-stuffed Lemon

Seafood-stuffed Lemon

Total time:  Approximately 35 minutes.

2 large lemons
1 cup chopped or shredded COOKED seafood
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 full scallion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 stalk of celery, diced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut each lemon in half the “short” way, so that each side can be cupped in a hand. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the fruit. Don’t dig deep!!!! If you cut into the rind, you’re likely to get some real bitter bites. The best way to do this is to just use a hand juicer to flatten the insides of the lemon. (I froze my leftover lemon juice in the ice cube tray, one tablespoon per cube.)

In a medium bowl, mix together meat, cheese, breadcrumbs, onions, celery, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Stuff each lemon half as tight as you can with the stuffing.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

I used 5 large prawns, a handful of crab meat, and a handful of tuna (leftovers from sushi night, fried in a pan). I was originally planning to put an egg in the mix to hold it all together, but I forgot. The filling was plenty moist and held together well, though, so I left the egg out of the recipe. Unless your meat is really dry, I see no reason to add an egg.

I baked my stuffed lemons in my cupcake pan.