Rosemary Pine Nut Crackers and Biscotti

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: Rosemary-Pine Nut Crackers Chicken Two and I took a class at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, FL, just east of Tampa. I'd highly recommend them for kitchen supplies and classes. They are certainly well-equipped and the instructors know what they are doing. The class was for making crackers and we got a lot out of it. By far my favorite cracker of the three we made was the rosemary-pine nut flavor. These wonderful gems go great with a nice, soft cheese and a glass of chilled white wine. Plus they couldn't be easier: it's like making cookies.  Mix up the ingredients just like cookie dough: cream the butter and sugar together, add the dry ingredients, and so on. Detailed instructions are in the recipe below. Form the dough into two thick rectangles, wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for an hour or two. Roll the dough out like cookie dough and use a cookie cutter to cut them out. In class we used a round, scalloped cutter, but at home I used my autumn-themed leaf-shaped cutters. You can see all the luscious butter sizzling in the oven as they bake: See? They look just like cookies. These crackers melt in your mouth. The creamy richness of the pine nuts stand up to the boldness of the rosemary, something not a lot of ingredients would be able to do.  Note: you owe it to yourself to use fresh rosemary. Chop it very finely for max flavor. Plus you don't want to get rosemary leaves in your teeth when you eat them. I keep some of this dough in the freezer. It's easy enough to thaw it out and bake them up if you have a gift to bring someone or have unexpected guests. Get yourself a round of French Camembert plus a crisp white wine and sit down with these crackers. Just don't expect there to be any left when you get up.

From Chicken Two: Rosemary-Pine Nut Biscotti I love the savory taste of rosemary and pine nut, so I set off to find a recipe that looked interesting. I found this one in Eatingwell.com, where I've found some great recipes in the past. Mixing the ingredients to form a soft dough. Hint: baking is a lot like a science, so be sure to measure the ingredients precisely or you may not have the outcome you were hoping for. I formed the loaf on wax paper to make it easier to transfer it to the baking sheet. You just roll it on! It's easy to slice if you let it cool properly. Not only beautiful, but tasty too!

Rosemary Pine Nut Crackers Recipe
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3.75 ounces (100 g) pine nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• water

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer to whip the butter until light and smooth.
3. Add half the flour mixture to the butter and mix just until combined.
4. Add the rosemary, pine nuts, egg, egg yolks and pepper. Mix until just combined.
5. Add rest of flour mixture until just combined. Dough should not be dry. If it crumbles, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it is moist and doesn’t crumble when pinched.
6. Divide dough in half. Flatten it into thick rectangles. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).
8. Unwrap one rectangle of dough on floured surface. Roll to ¼-inch (0.6 cm) thick.
9. Cut out crackers with cookie cutter. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
10. Bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and store in airtight container.

Rosemary-Pine Nut Biscotti
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina flour or fine cornmeal
2/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine all-purpose flour, semolina flour(or cornmeal), pine nuts, rosemary and baking powder in a large bowl, mixing until the rosemary is evenly distributed throughout.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar, oil and salt in a medium bowl just until combined and uniform (but not until the sugar dissolves).
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surgce and shape into a 12 by 2 1/2 inch log.
5. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes and reduce oven to 325 degrees.
7. Slice the log crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices and place them cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes then turn over and continue baking for 10 more minutes.
8. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fennel Slaw and Indian Slaw

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.
The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: Fennel Slaw I chose a delicate slaw this time from one of my fave Indian cookbooks by Vikas Khanna, Indian Harvest. If you'd like to witness someone who is spiritually connected to food, search on this guy's name on YouTube. He's wonderfully inspiring to listen to as he talks about food. This dish is a light, summery fennel slaw with a tangy dressing and sweet, sweet honeydew melon balls. Just looking at these photos makes my mouth water!  With the hot weather bearing down on us, we thought we'd give you some light yet spicy options for a flavorful repast. A great advantage to cooking light is that the recipes are quick and easy, too. No cooking is required, of course, and only one fennel bulb, thinly shredded. You get all this from one bulb, about four servings: The dressing is very vinegary, and next time I will reduce the vinegar to half of what the recipe calls for. The taste is so tangy that it's hard to eat without the melon sweetness in the same bite to offset the edge. So I added more melon this time! The dressing is made with lightly toasted cumin seeds ground fine.  The wonderful aroma permeates the kitchen as it's toasted and ground, and you can't believe the difference in flavor. You could use ground cumin from a jar as well, but the flavor is much less intense. Enjoy the summer with this light, sweet salad. It makes a perfect lunch or a side to accompany a main course.

From Chicken Two: Bund Gobhi Nu Shaak (Indian Slaw) I was looking for a salad that I felt would balance out a wonderfully spicy Indian meal that included a vindaloo and a creamy corn curry. I wanted something with great flavor that would stand up to the other strong tastes but not overpower. This salad works! Because my time was short, I bought a coleslaw mix to use, which worked out great. The combination of hot (serranos) and sweet (coconut) along with the roasted peanuts was a tantalizing mixture for the taste buds! You will find the recipe below but here's a couple of hints: I recommend dry roasted peanuts and definitely unsalted. Grind into a bread crumb consistency and mix with all the other ingredients except the mustard seed. Don't fall asleep with your hand on the grind button or you will wind up with a paste! When roasting the mustard seed, be sure to put a lid on it before you hear the first pop or two. Otherwise you could get hot oil or a seed in the face. Ouch! The process should only take about 30 seconds. I left it in the fridge overnight and the flavors only got better! Enjoy!!

Fennel Slaw and Melon Balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 small honeydew melon, seeded
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lightly roasted cumin seeds, ground
• salt to taste
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Scoop out the honeydew with a melon baller, set aside.
2. Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, cumin, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
3. Toss the fennel and honeydew in the dressing to coat.
4. Garnish with dill.
5. Serve chilled.

Indian Slaw (Bund Gobhi Nu Shaak)

Ingredients

• 1 pound cabbage (half a small head) or 14 ounces (1 bag) coleslaw mix
• 1-2 fresh green Serrano chiles, stems discarded
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup dry, unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
• juice from 1 medium-sized lime
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Cooking Directions

1. Remove the core from cabbage and shred very thin (or open coleslaw mix). Place in large bowl.
2. Slice the chiles lengthwise and then cut them into thin slices, crosswise, ending up with half-moons of chiles that still have the rib and seeds within. Do not discard the seeds. Add this to the cabbage.
3. Chop peanuts in a spice grinder, food processor or mini chopper to a consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Letting the machine run continuously may yield peanut butter.
4. Add peanuts, coconut, cilantro, salt, and lime juice to bowl cabbage.
5. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add mustard seeds, cover the pan, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in the turmeric.
6. Pour over cabbage. Wipe skillet clean with some cabbage shreds.
7. Thoroughly mix the contents of the large bowl to ensure every shred is evenly coated.
8. Serve either at room temperature or chilled.

 

Spicy Rice Pilaf (Pilau Masala) & Carrot Rice (Carrot Sadam)

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:   Spicy Rice Pilaf (Pilau Masala) If you've been following this blog, you know that America's Test Chicken is all about trying things in the kitchen that intimidate us. At the beginning of this year we delved into Indian cuisine, covering everything from vindaloo to tandoori. This time each Chicken chose a rice dish from India. You might know them as pilaf, which is variously spelled pilau or pulao in India. Pilaf/pilau is defined by perfuming some oil with spices before sauteeing rice in the oil. After that, the rice is cooked in a standard way. My pilau is from northern India and is referred to as Pilau Masala, which really just means spicy rice. My recipe comes from Indian Harvest by Vikas Khanna, although it does appear in Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer with slight variation - plus hundreds more recipes online. This rice is a wonderful side dish to curry or alone as a main dish. The ingredients are simple and beautiful: Cloves, cardamom and bay leaf perfume the oil, then onions are added: And finally the rice. After the rice sautes, you can either cook uncovered until the rice is tender, or you can cover it and steam it til done. I cooked this batch uncovered per the recipe, but I think next time I'll steam it. I know the method better, and I won't have to keep adding liquid and tending it so closely. The word 'perfume' truly is the description for this! The flavor is very light and subtle, and the scent is sweet. It reminds me of the cinnamon rice-and-raisins I had as a child. This pilau, however, is not sweet at all, just lusciously savory. It's easily converted to vegetarian by using vegetable stock or plain water, though I used chicken stock (of course!). I added the split chickpeas per the recipe, and they provide lots of protein for vegetarian types. Besides, I had some left over from the puran poli recipe. However, you can leave those out, too, if you like. I think lentils would work just as well. Oh, man, now I'm hungry!

From Chicken Two: Carrot Rice (Carrot Sadam) There seem to be many versions of this tasty dish so I picked the simpler version that can be made quickly as a side or even a main dish. It originates from southern India and is often used as a lunch to pack in the kids' lunch box.  I take that to mean it can be served hot or cold. Just a few ingredients that include peanuts, onion, ginger and carrots.  You'll find the recipe below. I just want to point out that the jar of basmati rice (above) used to be full! We've been cooking (and eating) a lot of Indian dishes lately and that usually calls for rice!! The recipe says grate the carrots, but I only had small ones in the fridge so I ground them instead. Improvise, I say! This version calls for margarine to sauté the vegetables and spices, but I used ghee. You can also use a healthy oil as a substitute. This is a very tasty dish, somewhat nutty and I will definitely cook it again, possibly as the main course with a salad or green veggie. I have some left over, so I'm going to try it cold too....I figure the kids must like it if it's so common! Give it a try! Enjoy!

Pilau Masala (Spicy Rice Pilaf)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 3 whole pods cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup split chickpeas (chana dal), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
• salt to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Saute bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon for 1 minute. Add onion and saute another 2 to 3 minutes til soft.
2. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring.
3. Add in rice and saute another 2 minutes.
4. Add stock, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until moisture is absorbed and rice and chickpeas are just tender.
5. Serve hot. 

Carrot Rice (Carrot Sadam)

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon margarin
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 3/4 cup grated carrots
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• chopped fresh cilantro

Cooking Directions

1. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and allow to steam until tender, about 20 minutes.
2. While rice is cooking, grind peanuts in a blender and set aside. Heat the margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned golden brown about 10 minutes. Stir in ginger, carrots, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to low and cover to steam 5 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper and peanuts. When rice is done, add it to skillet and stir gently to combine with other ingredients. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

 

Savory Carmelized Garlic, Spinach and Cheddar Tart

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Chicken One also has a related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. Not to be outdone, Chicken Two has a new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop, which presents stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away.

Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

This time, we present a savory garlic and spinach tart that takes a bit of work, but the compliments you get will make it more than worthwhile!

The complete recipe appears at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: This stunning dish was Chicken Two's idea. She'd found the recipe in a bon appétit magazine and raved about it after having made it twice. Of course I had to try it myself. Because this dish appeared to be very much like quiche, I had to delve into the semantics of the whole situation. What I found was this: Both a quiche and a tart have a single, bottom crust are baked in a straight-sided, possibly fluted dish whose bottom may be removable A quiche is always savory always has an egg custard filling A tart can be savory or sweet can have egg custard filling or another kind, like this fruit tart on my related blog A pie can be sweet or savory, but in America it's usually sweet is in a deeper dish than quiches or tarts has the same kind of crust as quiches and tarts but also may have a top crust is baked in a sloped-sided dish That last point is valid, but if you only have a pie pan, use it for this recipe. It's what I did and it's equally good. Ok, I admit I used frozen pie shells from the supermarket, despite usually making them myself. But it was really fine in the end. I'll let Chicken Two give you the particulars about how the whole thing's made, but here are some tips I figured out along the way. First, you must bake the crust in advance. For that you need pie weights to keep the dough from becoming a giant bubble in the oven. You can use official pie weights, for sure, but I used rice. You can also use dry beans. Line the crust with foil or parchment first and don't try to cook the rice or beans for a meal afterward: There is a whole lotta garlic in this tart. By the time it's cooked a couple of times with various enhancing ingredients, it's mild and delicious and totally palatable. The downside is you have to peel three heads of it to start. Therefore, I recommend using this handy tool, a rubber garlic peeler that Chicken Two gave me. Check out her Poop from the Coop blog for a review of this useful kitchen gadget: When you cook the garlic you must reduce the liquid to a syrupy consistency. You can tell it's at the right stage when it doesn't immediately rush to cover the pan's bottom when you scrape it away with a wooden spoon: Cheddar is one of the main flavors in the tart. Therefore, spring for a mature, aged, white cheddar. I found mine at the Italian gourmet supermarket near here (read, mecca):   It will look as though there is too much spinach in the dish before you pour in the custard. But the liquid seeps down into the leaves and turns out to be just enough. Unless your dish is too shallow! I wonder if there will ever be a way to give blog readers a taste of a recipe. If so, rush to this one first - it's really fantastic! It's creamy and moist with several compatible flavors prominent in the dish. It's also very pretty. Check out the marbling caused by the spinach in the dish: You can serve it warm or chilled. It's a great brunch item that you can make in advance. If you use a disposable pie tin, it's very portable; you can take it to your next pot-luck.

From Chicken Two: This recipe was a true surprise, unlike what I expected when I started out. My daughter-in-law had a copy of bon appetit and, though it looked complicated, we decided to give it a shot. It was much easier than it looked!.. After peeling tons of garlic …three heads to be exact. Boil until tender (about 3 min.) Cook in heated oil until they turn brown, drain, then add vinegar and 1 cup water and bring to a      boil. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is tender, 10–12 minutes.  Add maple syrup, rosemary and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy and coats garlic, about 5 minutes.  Scatter cheese over crust...   Whisk together crème fraîche, cream, and remaining eggs in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pour over spinach. Add garlic and its syrup. Bake for 35 minutes, until custard is set. Enjoy! SNAFU Alert: The second time I made this, I didn't have a 9-inch, deep-dish pie pan, so I tried a smaller, less deep pan. The custard spilled over into the oven and, without as much filling, the pie was almost solid garlic. Ok, it tasted great, but looked very odd and the custard is a big part of this recipe, so it was missed! The right pan is essential, in my humble opinion!

Carmelized Garlic, Spinach and Cheddar Tart Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tart/pie crust
• 5 large eggs
• 3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 ounces (about 2 cups) sharp white cheddar, grated
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 

Directions:

1. Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°. 
2. Line dough with parchment paper or foil, leaving some overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice. Bake until crust is dry around edge, 25–30 minutes. 
3. Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Remove parchment and weights and brush entire crust with egg. Bake until crust is dry and set, 10–15 minutes. Let cool. 
4. Meanwhile, cook garlic in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes; drain. 
5. Wipe saucepan dry and heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until cloves start to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is tender, 10–12 minutes. Add maple syrup, rosemary, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy and coats garlic, about 5 minutes. 
6. Scatter cheese over crust; top with spinach. 
7. Whisk together crème fraîche, cream, and remaining eggs in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pour over spinach. Add garlic and its syrup. 
8. Bake until custard is set and golden brown in spots, 35–40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. 
9. Serve warm or cold.

Hard Whiskey Sauce & Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

This time: two luscious sauces for last month's bread pudding!

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post. 

From Chicken One: I, of course, opted for the sauce with the liquor in it. Both these sauces are super easy, but I think the hard sauce is even easier than Chicken Two's caramel sauce over there. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes after you've gathered the ingredients. Just melt some butter and stir in some sugar, an egg yolk and some water. Once it boils, remove from heat and stir in the hard stuff. It's best warm spooned over bread pudding. No major SCAFU's to report this time, thank the Great Hen and dessert gods!

From Chicken Two:     I think this version - the Caramel Sauce - is super     easy too! The trick is NOT overcooking! Burned     caramel sauce ain't tasty! Just combine the ingredients and cook until bubbly. Be sure to stir constantly and, when the sauce looks slightly curdly, cook and stir for another 2 minutes. You'll add the vanilla after you take the pot off the heat. If you've never had warm bread pudding (yes, you can serve it over cooled pudding), you're missing a real treat! There are a couple of other sauces you can use as well such as Vanilla or Bourbon Sauce, but I invite you to use your imagination and create your own using your favorite flavors. Let us know how it turns out!

Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Stir in half-and-half, corn syrup, and butter. Stir over medium heat until bubbly (mixture may appear curdled). Stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm or cool over bread pudding. Also great for ice cream, baked fruits or cake. Cover and chill any leftovers for up to 3 days.

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Bourbon Sauce for Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 - 2 tablespoons bourbon

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk and water. Stir over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon. Serve warm over bread pudding.