Daring Cooks: Cod with Powdered Flavours

This challenge I sort of pumped out last minute.  Being summer, the days sort of just disappeared in front of me, and then I had to get ready to go on vacation.  I'm likely not in range of a computer as you read this.  However, I'm glad I did this challenge.  Essentially what we had to do was poach Skate (a water animal semi-like a sting ray) wings in a butter emulsion.  As Skate was not to be found, I opted for Cod, which was very good.  The second part was to make traditional flavours powdered.  That was interesting, and although some of the ones I made weren't my favourites (too sweet!), I'm very glad I tried it.   

Thanks to Sketchy for this challenge =D!!

Brown the powdered milk...

Toast the coconut...

Dehydrate the onions in the microwave...

Slice up the lemon zest...

And chop the green beans =D.

Aren't they pretty?

Don't forget the butter!!

Then boil the beans...

And make it all look pretty (after the fish is cooked, of course)

Yum.  The powders are all heaped on the side - Carrot, Lemon, Coconut, "brown butter" and onion.  Nice and simple.

After trying the regular version (and eating his beans), my brother chose to make his own, more savoury version.  Sounds good to me =D.

Try this, its fun.  Plus, you get to make the flavours match your tastes (dried spices work beautifully, as do homemade extravagant ones =D).

xoxo

Lauren

PS.  If your comments don't show, Don't worry, once I have computer access, I will get to them!! 

Canada Day!

I hope that you all had a lovely, awesome Canada Day!!  Personally, I had a leisurely morning of French Toast and family, followed by Transformers : Rise of the Fallen with a friend.  With all of the July Forth Preperation posts popping up around the net, I thought that I should say a little something about Canada Day.  

I'm fairly certain that every Canadian has a different tradition or ritual or something on this day.  Some people do barbeques, others have a lazy day with their family.  Some have parties, some go to work, but I'm sure that most of us think about what it means to be a Canadian.  And what Canada means as a whole.  Or at least thats what I do =D. 

To me, being a Canadian is about being yourself, while always respecting those around you.  I believe a large aspect of our culture is our multiculturalism, and the acceptance we have for other cultures.  Yet, while acknowledging the various cultures around us, I personally don't let those cultures define who I am or who anyone else is, unless they choose to do so.  I believe in a positive society with communities that are communities, not just wherever you happen to live.  Canada is a place of hope, graditude and people.  I know that we often fall behind the shadow of the States, but I believe that not having those expectations allows us to evolve as a county.

Although I have yet to travel the world (to the extent I would like) I know that Canadians are respected in most areas of the world.  In my experience, when we visit a new place, we try to adapt to their customs while we are there, as it is not ours to take advantage of, but theirs to share with us (if they choose to do so).  

Canada as a whole is a beautiful place.  If you have not seen it, I encourage you to do so.  (Although I have not seen the movie, I have heard that One Week showcases the beautiful scenes throughout our country)  We have mountains, lakes, rivers, prairies, beaches, snow, sun, trees and much more.  Every one of our seasons is different, and they vary throughout the country, and provinces, and cities.  I think that this year I am going to do my best to see and really explore the parts of Canada I happen to be in.  Regardless of where you are, finding new treasures and locations are always a beautiful thing, and Canada has one of the most amazing landscapes.

Anyways, have a wonderful day,

xoxo

Lauren

Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tart or Pudding

I made this tart/pudding/dessert/food/yummyness in an afternoon.  I completely messed with the recipe, and miraculously ended up with a lovely end result.  First off, I don't own a scale, and all of the measurements were by grams or ounces.  Secondly grams and ounces confuse me.  So, using my mom's kitchen math sheet, I figured out roughly how much flour I would need in wheat flour, then used that amount of a large mix of GF flours.  I probably should have used less of my flours, as they are more drying than "normal" flour.  But don't worry, I fixed(ish) that later.  

I also guesstimated the amount of sugar and whatnot in the rest of the shortcrust recipe.  And, for the big finale, as I was adding the water, that would apparently make it all stick together, I had some issues.  You see, the recipe said that 1 to 2 tbsp of water would work, but with the dryness of my flours, that 2 turned into 3 and 5 and 7 and ultimately about 9 1/2 tablespoons of water.  And some vegetable oil, because the water wasn't going to cut it alone.  

Oh, and I skipped the step of putting the dough into the fridge, as making an already (somewhat) crumbly dough into the fridge to dry out some more is not a good idea.  Also, without gluten to develop, whats the point?  To make the recipe even more my own, I didn't roll out the dough, but patted it into the pan, which worked beautifully.  Even though I don't make my own jam, I decided to use some, to add more moisture to the dish.  The Frangipane was somewhat easier, but I still guesstimated most of the amounts.  

Here are the pictures from this interesting, and fun adventure:

I mixed all of my flours and grated the butter in...

Separated the eggs,

And added them to the dough.  As well as 3 tbsp of water...

Still far from being a dough!

After 5 tbsp, it looked like this

I believe this was at about the 8 1/2 tbsp point.  Still not quite there...

But once it was okay, I bundled it up fast =D!!

Then patted out the dough, in the pie plate.  Rolling wasn't going to help this crust =D.

Once the crust was frozen, I spread a good 3/4 cup of strawberry jam onto the crust.

And, of course added the Frangipane to the top, yum =D.

All baked =D.

A couple of hours later, it was time to taste the tart!

Lets just say Yum.  This was good.  Very good.

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

As I said, this was good, and I encourage you all to try it (if you haven't already)!  We'll see how everyone else's turns out, but I found the recipe to be fairly flexible, as long as the consistency is good at the end!  This was my first time making a shortcrust and a Frangipane, as well as tasting them, so I hope that you try them as well.

xoxo

Lauren

I know I haven't done this in awhile, but heres the recipe with all of my alterations =D. (PS Sorry about all of the funny spacing, it wasn't cooperating with me...)

Bakewell Tart or Pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds or chopped almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits.  Press the dough into tart pan, ensuring a uniform (not too thick) thickness. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.  I cooked it for 5 minutes longer, but do as you see fit =D.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, not-so poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm or cold, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough. 

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1 1/2 cups Bette Hagmans flour mix, 1/2 cup corn flour
30g (1oz) sugar (1/8 cup sugar, I think... It might have been 1/4 cup...)
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt 
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED!! cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. Pour in at least the 2 tbsp, and see from there, just keep adding water until it sticks together well.  Really well, and is not crumbly.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap and leave out while you make the Frangipane.

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds (about a 1 1/4 cups)
30g (1oz) all purpose flour 1/4 cup of a blend of flours and a pinch of xanthan gum...

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Daring Cooks: Dumplings

This was a fun challenge =D.  I enjoyed making these, but they took a really long time.  At least a couple of hours of just folding up dumplings.  All by myself...  If I make these again, I will definitely make these with someone.  Somehow sitting in a chair folding for a very long time looses its excitement after awhile.  Shocking.  Anyways, once I finished and cooked these, they were okay.  My mom loved them, but I found that the gnocchi was better.  In case you were wondering, I made dumplings with a potato, cheese and onion filling.  I figured that making them that way would guarantee that my whole family would like them.  And, it did.  My brother and dad liked them as well as my mom and I.

Without further adieu, here are the photos:

First off, the onions carmelize...

And the potatoes boil (then get mashed)

It all gets mixed together with the cheese...

And with a dash of movie magic, it gets enveloped by a dumpling wrapper, or two.

Into the pan.  Cook! Cook! Cook!

All done, yum =D.

Thanks to Jen at use real butter for the challenge, and to Jill Elise for the wrapper recipe I used =D.

xoxo

Lauren

Medications

They aren't fun.  That much is obvious.  For probably 2 years now, I've been on thyroid medication.  That is no big deal.  I take one pill once a day, so simple.  Sure, my levels go up and down but basically it worked.  Now, I have so so much more.  I haven't told you yet but I have gall stones.  They don't hurt me yet, because they are very very small, but my doctor wants to get rid of them.  And luckily, because of the type of stone they are, I can try this new medication to attempt to get rid of them.  So thats my first new medication.  It's kid of huge, but all in all, it's not that bad.

The really bad one that drives me crazy are the salt pills.  Yes, salt pills.  They are a semi-ancient form of medicine, but my doctor decided to put me on it.  They are driving me insane.  First, I have to take them at every meal.  Second, they hurt.  I got aches throughout my abdomen that move around, during the first few days.  Third, it makes gas, at least it did in the beginning.  Every so often, I got little tiny, quiet burps in groups of 10 or so, which aren't fun.  They are sort of like hiccups but not.  Fourth, which is super weird, but they made my saliva taste like salt.  It tasted horrible, and is one of the things that causes the fifth issue.  Fifth, I have to drink a ton of water.  Not just because I have to, but because I want to.  It helps to a point, unless I drink too much, then I feel like I drank too much water, which is a pretty impossible to explain feeling.  In the past few days, at school alone, I have been drinking at least 2 1/2 litres of water.  At home, I have many more glasses just to quench my thirst.  Probably between 5 and 10.  Considering I used to drink maybe 2 litres total throughout my day, I find it to be a lot of water.  I even have two water bottles, which I usually refill and finish by the end of the school day.  It's kind of crazy.

On the flip side, the salt pills have helped.  They've decreased my dizzyness episodes and allowed my body to make more blood.  I can sometimes actually feel the larger quantity of blood in my body, which is an odd sensation.  

What really bugged me was that I went from on pill a day to 6.  And, even moreso, that I have to take medication at school.  However, regular school is finished! so that won't be an issue again until fall.

So what about you?  Are you on medication, been on it in the past, or even a lucky person without a single pill to take?  

I know that I'm on it for the rest of my life.  Maybe not the new ones, but my thyroid medication is always going to be part of my day, and I'm okay with that, because I always feel better on it, and it's a tiny little pill that doesn't need any special treatment.

xoxo

Lauren

Daring Bakers: Strudel

This was a nice challenge.  For the gluten free component, some of the alternative bakers found some good recipes, which I used very willingly =D.  The strudel didn't quite turn out perfectly, but it was a fun and very quick challenge which was nice.

I mixed up mini versions of the 2 flour mixes

Then made the smallest batter ever.

Spread it all out on the silpat and stuck it in the oven...

Then took it out, and onto the parchment

Lay down the apples in cinnamon brown sugar heaven, onto the "pastry"

And roll it up =D.

All baked!

Take 2: Pre-baking

Take 2: Ready to eat =D.

Yum =D.  This was an interesting challenge no doubt, and thanks to GlutenFreeSoxFan for the CIA Gluten Free recipe I used.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

xoxo

Lauren

Daring Cooks: Ricotta Gnocchi

Yum.  These were amazing.  Seriously, try them.  They were light, fluffy, melt in your mouth perfection.  I couldn't find the good camera, so I took some quick pics with a little one I have.  The recipe was amazing, and I'm glad that I joined Daring Cooks for their very first challenge ever, because this was really fun =D.  I had never in my life made or even tasted gnocchi before this, and boy am I glad I did.  I followed the recipe the same as normal, and only substituted the all purpose wheat flour with a big mix of flours.  I used about a cup of some leftover Bette Hagman's mix that I had laying around (6 pts rice flour, 2 pts potato starch/flour, 1 pt tapioca starch), as well as a lot of corn flour and sorghum flour.  

With that said, here are my pictures:

All carefully shaped, don't want to screw them up!

And then they boil for a couple of minutes...

And take a nice little butter bath.

Then dive into my bowl and into my mouth.

Mmm... Enjoy =D

Definitely go check out all of the other Daring Cooks (especially the rest of the alternative ones) because wow, they made some amazing food!

xoxo

Lauren