Chicken Paprikash – Chris’s Version

 I’ve been using this recipe from the Youngstown, Ohio, Angels and Friends Cookbook for decades. Milk Street  offered up their version this year.

I blended them here, and I think improved on both!

Ingredients:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter (or mix butter with some oil to prevent burning)

1 ½ cups chopped onion

Shallot, chopped (optional)

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)

Some combination of 2 peppers – bell, Anaheim, cubanelle, chopped. (Some hot, some sweet, your choice!)

2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar with some juice)

Juice of ½ lemon

1.5 pounds chicken, in large chunks (I used the tenderloins for Costo, whole)

¼ cup paprika (some combination of sweet, hot, smoked, or all sweet)

½ teaspoon salt.

2 cups chicken broth (Better Than Bullion always works)

2 more tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1.5 cups sour cream

Dumpling/biscuit mix of your choice. See below for what I used.

Preparation:

1.      Melt the butter. Add the onions (shallots and garlic, if using). Cook until translucent.

2.      Add the chopped peppers, roasted peppers, lemon juice and chicken. Cook until vegetables soft. Chicken won’t be cooked yet.

3.      Add the paprika and salt, stir until combined.

4.      Add the broth and simmer over low heat – bottom will burn otherwise.

5.      Cover with lid and cook until chicken is tender.

6.      While chicken is cooking, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and add the flour. Cook until this roux is light brown.

7.      Remove the roux from heat and let cool down a bit.

8.      Add the sour cream and stir until combined with the roux.

9.      When the chicken is done, scoop a few tablespoons of the broth into the roux mixture. Do this 2 or 3 times and combine until smooth each time.

10. Stir the roux mixture into the chicken pot and heat back up to a low simmer.

11. Drop the biscuit mix in large dollops on top of the pot and cook 10 – 15 minutes until biscuits are cooked through. I had to pull one apart to know for sure, though a temperature probe is another option! (Internet says 190 degrees.)

12. When biscuits are done, you are ready to serve.

Biscuits:

Ingredients:

I had Kodiak Pancake and Waffle Mix handy, so I used

2 cups of the mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black (or white) pepper

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

Mix all dry ingredients, then the wet and combine. Dollop over Paprikash and cook until done.

 

Ma Po Tofu – Pock Marked Old Woman’s Tofu

Adapted from Every Grain of Rice by Fuschia Dunlop

500—600 g plain white tofu

4 baby leeks or spring onions, green parts only (I used whites, too, just added them earlier after adding beans)

4 tbsp cooking oil

2 1/2 tbsp Sichuan chilli bean paste

1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tsp ground red chilies (I ground up the whole chilies from the Asian grocer, and they were pretty hot. Might back off a bit!)

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

100 ml stock or water

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Salt (optional)

2 tsp potato flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (I used corn starch)

¼ - 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper

---

Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and leave to steep in very hot, lightly salted water while you prepare the other ingredients (do not allow the water to boil or the tofu will become porous and less tender). Slice the baby leeks or spring onion greens at a steep angle into thin ‘horse ears‘.

Heat a wok over a high flame. Pour in the cooking oil and swirl it around. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chilli bean paste and stir—fry until the oil is a rich red colour and smells delicious. Next add the black beans and ground chillies {if using) and stir-fry for a few seconds more until you can smell them too. Then do the same with the ginger and garlic. Take care not to overheat the seasonings; you want a thick, fragrant sauce and the secret of this is to let them sizzle gently, allowing the oil to coax out their flavours and aromas.

Remove the tofu from the hot water with a perforated spoon, shaking off excess water, and lay it gently in the wok. Push the tofu tenderly with the back of your ladle or wok scoop to mix it into the sauce without breaking up the cubes. Add the stock or water, the white pepper and salt to taste and mix gently, again using the back of of your scoop so you don't damage the tofu.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the flavours of the seasonings. Add the leek slices (if using) and nudge them into the sauce. When they are just tender, add a little of the flour—and—water mixture and stir gently as the liquid thickens. Repeat once or twice more, until the sauce clings to the seasonings and tofu (don't add more than you need). If you are using spring onions rather than leeks, add them now and nudge them gently into the sauce. Pour the tofu into a deep bowl. Sprinkle with the ground roasted Sichuan pepper and serve.

Pour the tofu into a deep bowl. Sprinkle with the ground roasted Sichuan pepper and serve.

My Blender Version of Babish version of "Tom Cruise Coconut Cake"

 

I took the Babish version of "Tom Cruise Coconut Cake" recipe and made a few enhancements, based on some other recipes, including Milk Street's episode on "Blender Cakes," which included the "1-2-3 Frosting" recipe below.

Preheat oven to 325.

Non-stick spray a full size Bundt pan.

Blender Version:

Dry ingredients:

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 4 room temperature eggs
• 3/4 cup (160g) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/3 cup (100g) sour cream
• 4 oz (115 g) melted white chocolate
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1- 2 tsp. vanilla

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (my preferred):

• 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 oz butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Powdered sugar (16-20 oz, to taste)

    

For the Milk Street 1-2-3 Frosting recipe alternative (everyone else's preferred, apparently):

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 sticks butter (room temperature)
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• Instructions:
• Cream the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
• Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until fully combined.
• Add Cream and Flavorings: Add the heavy cream or milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and a pinch of salt if using. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Adjust Consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more cream or milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

For Decoration:

• Sweetened shredded coconut, or a mix of sweetened and unsweetend) (for topping)

Instructions:

1.   Put the wet ingredients in the blender and mix until well blended and fluffy.

2.   Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together. You can do this in a plain bowl and do all of this by hand, which is very easy, or use a mixer bowl.

3.   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully blended.

4.   Pour into the prepared Bundt pan.

5.   Bake at 325 for 55 - 65 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.

6.   Make the Frosting:

o    Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt on high speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.

o    Gradually sift in powdered sugar (start with 16 oz, adjusting to desired thickness and sweetness). Beat for 1 minute.

7.   Decorate the Cake:

o    Once the cake is completely cooled, turn it out onto a cake board (optional for easier handling).

o    Frost the cake evenly with the (cream cheese) frosting.

o    Generously coat the cake with sweetened shredded coconut, pressing lightly to ensure it sticks. (I used a cooling rack set over a sheet pan to catch and reuse the coconut and it worked great!)

 

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

SERVES 6 TO 8 

I think this is from America's Test Kitchen Vegetarian Cookbook, but an almost identical version is here:

https://cookingwithbrendagantt.net/sicilian-chickpea-and-escarole-soup/

The elegant soup of creamy chickpeas, mildly bitter escarole, fennel, and fresh tomato is finished with a drizzle of olive oil. 

Salt and pepper 

1 pound dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving 

2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, and chopped fine 

1 small onion, chopped medium 

5 garlic cloves, minced 

2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

7 cups water (If using dried beans)

5 cups vegetable broth 

1 (5-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind plus 2 ounces cheese, grated (1 cup) 

2 bay leaves 

1 (3-inch) strip orange zest 

1 head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 large tomato, cored and chopped medium 

Method: 

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well. 

1A. I did this with 2 cans of rinsed and drained chick peas, and put this together in a half hour, so...

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

3. Stir in water, broth, drained chickpeas, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 11/4 to 13/4 hours. 

4. Stir in escarole and tomato and cook until escarole is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. 

S. Off heat, remove bay leaves and Parmesan rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted and adding it back to pot). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with grated Parmesan, drizzle with extra oil, and serve. 

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In Sicily, chickpeas are the favored legume to use in soup. We found dozens of soup recipes starring chickpeas but were most interested in versions in vouch the mild bean shared the stage with escarole. We knew that dried beans were the way to go for our traditional soup because we could infuse the chickpeas with lots of flavor as they cooked. For aromatics, we started with the classic 

flavors of the region: onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. I've also added fennel, which grows wild throughout much of the Mediterranean; its mild anise bite complemented the nutty chickpeas. A strip of orange zest added a subtle citrus-y note, while a Parmesan rind added a nutty richness and complexity that bolstered the chickpeas' flavor. When stirred In for the last 5 minutes of cooking, the escarole leaves 

udted until velvety and the stems retained a slight crunch. For more information on the science behind salt-soaking beans, and how to speed up the process if you're tight on time, see page 204. Parmesan rind can be replaced with a 2-inch chunk of the cheese. Serve with Garlic Toasts (page 97).