New York Style Bagels

Having lived in New York for a few years, I have definitive opinions on bagels.  Bagel texture, chew, toothiness... It all matters.  And while California style bagels aren't all bad, they aren't fresh New York bagels.  So I was thrilled to find the following recipe.  Shaping the bagel was the most complicated part of the recipe, which is to say, homemade bagels are a breeze!  And they were so good!  Chewy, but not dense, so tasty straight out of the oven, fabulous untoasted and great toasted two days later.  

New York Style Bagel

http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/10/new-york-style-bagel-recipe/

Kabocha Squash Ravioli

Freeooiuhu

Tonight in a wild episode of stress "baking" I decided to roast a kabocha squash and stuff some ravioli with it.  I've never actually made ravioli, but it seemed hard enough that if it turned out, I would be super exited and proud of myself.  

The raviolis turned out gloriously good and I restored all my faith in myself, so productive night over here.  

Kabocha Squash Ravioli 

Serves 6

Fresh pasta sheets (use your favorite recipe) 

1 kabocha squash

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

1/4 cup butter 

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp smoked maple syrup (get yourself some!!!!)

Rosemary

1 TBSP of butter for every 10 raviolis 

Cut the squash into 4 equal pieces, roast at 400 degrees, for one hour.  

After it's cooked, carefully scoop out the flesh and mash with butter, cream, spices and syrup (no really, go buy some smoked maple syrup). Taste and add more salt if desired.  Add one egg.  

Make an egg wash with one egg and 1/4 water.  Brush sheet of pasta with egg wash and fill with squash mixture.  Seal each ravioli well.

Place 1tbsp butter and a small bit of finely chopped rosemary in a pan.  

Boil a large pot of salted water and once boiling add 10-20 ravioli. Cook for 4 minutes or until pasta is al dente.  

As pasta is cooking begin heating the pan with the butter, browning it, turning the pan several times so the butter runs through the rosemary.  

When pasta is removed from the water, toss into the browned butter and rosemary.  Top with fresh ground black pepper and enjoy!  

Hot bruschetta

When your meal is this simple: 

But oh so good...

My husband was watching cooking shows on PBS yesterday and I meandered into the living room just in time to catch Jacques Pepin prepare a dish my husband deemed "hot reverse bruschetta". 

It looked like comfort food and sounded extremely simple. Of course today, shopping for ingredients, Trader Joes wasn't selling shallots, so I substituted a red onion, skipped the thyme and basil and whipped this up, single serving style for lunch.  

Hot Bruschetta

Single serving

One tomato (beefsteak or medium/large vine ripened) 

1/6 of a baguette (seeded, if possible!)

1/3 of a small red onion

1 clove of garlic

Olive oil 

Salt

Pepper

Spray oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Spray oil a individual cassoulet dish. 

Slice the tomato and place at the bottom of the dish.

Cut baguette into small chunks.

Slice the onions and garlic thinly.  

Mix bread, onions and garlic in a bowl with enough olive oil to coat the bread.  

Salt and pepper the tomatoes in the dish and the bread mixture.  

Place the bread mixture on the tomatoes.  

Bake for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are soft and bread is crispy.  

Enjoy and follow with breath mints.  😁

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

What does one eat for breakfast when there is no milk, eggs, potatoes, tortillas, bread, or cottage cheese? 

There are days of budgeting when I do open my fridge and wonder what on earth I can create out of a half limp carrot, and onion and a lime.  So far it has always worked out, we haven't starved or even eaten very poorly.  In the worst of times it's dinner of sides, but it's always usually tasty and generally nutritious.  

This morning I opened my fridge four times before remembering I had an apple, which made me think about oatmeal.  I prefer milk in my oatmeal (cream, really) and so I just doused it in brown sugar (more than what is pictured) and it was quite good. No starving, necessary.  

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

One small apple diced finely

1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant)

1 pinch* of cinnamon

1 pinch* of McCormick valencia orange peel

1 pinch* of salt 

1 cup water

Add all ingredients to a small pot and cook over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Top with brown sugar and cream (if you have some, yum!).  

*pinch- can vary in size.  Always less then 1/4 teaspoon which is my smallest measuring instrument.  Usually bigger then a dash.  

Chilled Oatmeal with Strawberry Compote and Creme Anglaise

The Rules
One of the goals of our budget eating is to make extra and freeze one and refrigerate one of whatever is leftover.  The other day I applied this principle to breakfast.  I was making oatmeal with strawberry compote and creme anglaise sauce and I decided to make the oatmeal thick and serve the rest cold, as a leftover.  I was able to pack up three extra breakfast portions and I now don't have to deal with breakfast for a day or two. 

The Inspiration
I have tried the overnight refrigerator oats recipes cruising around Pinterest with limited success, but I've always like cold oatmeal.  Even as a kid, I would eat my peach instant Quaker Oats with cold milk instead of microwaving it.  Now that I have been working on a certain airlines "Mint class" airplane, one of the perks is eating the food specially designed by Saxon and Parole, a New York restaurant.  They often offer a cold oatmeal with a fruit compote and creamy sauce.  I can't claim any originality to any of this, but I highly recommend you try it. 

The Recipe

Chilled Oatmeal with Strawberry Compote and Creme Anglaise
The Strawberry Compote
1 1/2 cups of strawberries, cleaned and diced
1/2 cup of water
1/4 of white sugar
2 tsp of corn starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Boil all ingredients together mashing strawberries with a fork as they soften, adding more water if compote seems too thick or begins to burn.  Don't worry if the strawberries still seem tart, they should be to counter the sweet and creamy creme anglaise. 

The Creme Anglaise
I used this recipe for the creme anglaise because it used milk, an ingredient I readily had on hand, and it has less calories then cream or half and half.  It was excellent with the oatmeal.  I also halved the recipe making it the perfect amount for the four portions of oatmeal.  (I also didn't ice bath my creme anglaise, because I'm lazy and it cooled perfectly while I made my oatmeal.)

The Oatmeal
Prepare Oatmeal, following package directions, for 4 people, using whole milk, instead of water.
Steel cut oats are my personal favorite, but I've also tried instant.

Put it Together
Top Oatmeal with strawberry compote and creme anglaise.  Add nuts if you have some on hand (Candied Walnuts!).  Eat it warm, then dish up the left overs to eat cold the next day.

Necessary Ingredients
Strawberries
Sugar
Corn Starch
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Milk
Oatmeal
Egg Yolks
Vanilla
Nuts (Optional!)