Comfort Food...

I asked my sweetie for comfort food on this cold night. He made Shepard's Pie for dinner.  It was so delicious, I want to share it with you...

Shepherd’s pie is one of the most loved meals in Ireland. The truth is that shepherd’s pie came about from sheer genius and the need to preserve rather than waste food. It was derived from the need to make something cohesive from the little bits of food that was seen to be not worth much. It was so revered in that time that it became something like a specialty dish in some homes. 

Try this recipe from Alton Browns cookbook:

FOR THE POTATOES

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 large egg yolk

FOR THE MEAT FILLING

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots (peeled and finely diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground shepherd (in a pinch, substitute mutton or lamb stew meat)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (chopped)
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup English peas (fresh or frozen)

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Put them in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set said pan over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, drop the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the meat with the flour, toss to coat, and continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce is thickened slightly.
5. Meanwhile, combine the half-and-half and butter in a microwave-safe container and nuke till warmed through, about 35 seconds.
6. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes (a masher is an excellent tool for this, though a hand mixer will also do), then add the hot half-and-half mixture, as well as the salt and pepper. Mash to smoothness, then stir in the egg yolk.
7. Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly in a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling over, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 
8. Place on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

It's National Bagel Day!

What is National Bagel Day?

National Bagel Day is January 15.  The yummy rounds of dough can be found just about anywhere: breakfast joints, coffee shops, supermarkets, or your favorite deli. In fact, 2018 saw more than 354 million bagels sold. What is your favorite? Mine is the Everything Bagel.

National Bagel Day History

Bagels have a long and highly documented history that travels from the Jewish families of Poland in the 1600s to wrapped up in parchment paper in your hands today. And, unlike many things created nearly five-hundred years ago, bagels are remarkably unchanged. Sure, cream cheeses, butters, flavors, and toppings may have evolved over time but the bagel is still the same basic recipe. 

Bagels made the jump to America with a massive Polish-Jewish immigration in the 1800s that firmly entrenched itself in New York City where it thrived. In fact, an entire union was created in the early 1900s called Bagel Bakers Local 338 to support the growing, immigrant-led industry. That also begat the “bagel brunch,” that we still enjoy to this day with little to no changes: lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, and red onions. 

While bagels were hugely popular in New York City almost immediately, they didn’t make their way to the national scale until the mid 20th-century where automation and bread slicing made mass manufacturing much more efficient. Since then, bagels have taken off to include a variety of flours, toppings, dips and smears but still remain – by and large – exactly as they were in the 1600s...yummy!

How to Make Bagels

Not all bagels are created equal; in fact, truly great bagels are so hard to find, I decided to learn how to make bagels at home. This recipe for the classic bagel is easy to follow; once you get the basics down, switch up the toppings and flavors to delight every bagel lover in the house. 

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup warm water 110°F
• 4 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons barley malt syrup divided
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Everything Bagel Seasoning or poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or coarse salt (see notes)1.) Soften (bloom) the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes.
2.) In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup, sugar, and salt. With the motor running on low, slowly drizzle in the yeast mixture.
3.) Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. If the dough becomes stuck to the dough hook, scrape the dough off the hook and return to the bottom of the mixer bowl.
4.) Turn out the dough onto a dry surface and shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl and brush with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees, see notes) for 20 minutes (it will double in volume).
5.) Turn out the dough onto a dry surface and divide into 12 equal portions of dough.

6.) Working with 1 portion of a dough at a time, roll the dough into a 9-inch rope. Moisten the ends of each rope and wrap the dough around to form a circle. There should be  a hole approximately the size of a quarter in the middle and the ends of the dough should overlap by at least 1 inch. Repeat with remaining portions.
7.) Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees) for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
8.) Bring a large, shallow pan of water and remaining 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup to a simmer. Boil the bagels in batches, 3 to 4 at a time, for 30 seconds on each side, adjusting the heat of the stove to maintain a simmer. Remove to the cooling rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with remaining bagels. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
9.) While the top of the bagels are still damp, sprinkle with Everything Bagel Seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt. Transfer the bagels to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
10.) Bake until the bagels are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Switch the positions and rotate the orientation of the sheets halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Recipe Notes: To create a warm environment ideal for yeast-rising, preheat your oven to its minimum temperature (170 degrees, 200 degrees), but shut it off once the temperature reaches 110 degrees. Place your dough (in a greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap), on a baking sheet and in the oven. The oven temperature will drop when you open the oven door, but enough residual heat will remain that your dough should steadily rise.

To make Everything Bagel Seasoning, combine:

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt or flaked salt

Itty Bitty Bat Cupcakes

I saw this cute cupcake idea on the Bakerella Blog; I think I'll try this for our weekend at the cabin with our family.  They make me smile! 

Get all the details
on how to make them here:

http://www.bakerella.com/itty-bitty-bat-cupcakes/

Cheers!

Happy Grilled Cheese Day!

A few weeks ago I made this grilled cheese sandwich from a recipe I found on Pinterest. Since today is National Grilled Cheese Day (giggle),  I couldn’t resist posting a yummy grilled cheese! Below is the link to the original recipe from the Bob & Carlene Deutscher's Kitchen. Enjoy and Happy Grilled Cheese Day! 

http://bsinthekitchen.com/beet-arugula-goat-cheese-grilled-cheese/#

Turkey and Cranberry Monte Cristo

I ran across this great recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers and thought I should share; it sounds yummy!

Ingredients

• 8 slices bread (potato bread, challah, or any other soft bread)
• 1 cup fontina cheese, grated
• 8 slices cooked turkey breast
• 1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• pinch nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Lay the 4 slices of the bread out on a cutting board.
2. On each slice, place 2 tablespoons of the fontina, followed by 2 slices of the turkey, and 2 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce.
3. Equally divide the arugula leaves and place on next layer.
4. Top with the remaining fontina and remaining bread slices.
5. Press down firmly on sandwiches to seal in the filling.
6. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and nutmeg.
7. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter.
8. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture coating both sides.
9. When butter is melted in skillet, add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown.
10. Flip sandwich and repeat with other side, adding more butter if necessary.
11. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels, and let sit for a few minutes.
12. Cut in halves and serve.
13.  Recipe found on AreaderZ; many other yummy recipes available...