Grilled Flatbreads August 3, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Grilled Flatbreads 2016-08-03 21:51:48 Print Ingredients 2 t. dry yeast ½ cup lukewarm water ¼ cup white flour ¼ cup rye or whole wheat flour 3 ¼ cup flour 1 t. salt ¾ cup cold water ¼ cup olive oil Topping ideas Pesto and Parmesan or Ricotta Za’atar Onion and sage Rosemary and thyme Tomato Various cheeses or serve with hummus or other dips Instructions Stir together the yeast and lukewarm water. Add the ¼ cups of white and rye (or whole wheat) flours and mix well. Allow this mixture to sit until bubbly. Mix the 3½ cup flour and 1 t. salt together in another bowl. Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with ¾ cup cold water and ¼ cup olive oil. Mix together thoroughly and knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is soft and elastic (5 minutes). Add more water or flour as needed. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours). Or refrigerate overnight, then remove from refrigerator 2 hours before shaping. Heat grill until hot. Divide dough into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into 1/8” thick round or oval. Lightly brush with olive oil and place the rounds directly on the grill grates, oil side down. Grill the flatbread until golden brown, flip, add oil (and toppings, if desired) and grill other side. About 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and add salt and pepper or additional toppings. Notes Makes 8 - 10 flatbreads or 2 10-inch pizzas By Teri Hiben Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
For the Love of Tomatoes by Heidi Kise July 28, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment My love for tomatoes developed at a young age. Undoubtedly our family garden had a little something do with it. We had an enormous garden every year that was home to everything from radishes to potatoes and always a plethora of tomatoes. My Dad was the main caretaker for this masterpiece. He was meticulous about the layout, spacing and weeding. He carefully and masterfully nurtured our garden all summer long. All of us kids begrudgingly helped out here and there. Enjoying the harvest as a family was the part we all loved. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of enjoying my Dad’s harvest of tomatoes will concur that his tomatoes are a little slice of heaven. I still savor each and every tomato that he gives me, often eating it with just a little sea salt. When I think back to those harvest days, I think of dinner on the patio that includes of my mom’s cucumber salad, BLTs, and cantaloupe. Still a favorite summertime meal of mine. Having my own real garden for the very first time this summer has been a fun and interesting experience for my family. Everyone had a chance to choose a few items to plant…cucumbers for Katie, beans for Leo, zucchini for Ken and tomatoes for everyone! The kids, my Dad, my neighbors and the internet have helped plant our garden and we have watched plants grow, blossom, and bear fruit. Tonight the kids ate freshly plucked organic beans from the garden, raw. They were over the moon excited and my daughter asked if she could take them to school in her lunch. In addition to the beans, ironically, my Dad was here today to see the very first ripe tomato plucked from our garden! Thanks to my Dad, I know what ripe tastes like. And thanks to my Dad, my kids will also know where their food comes from and know what a real tomato tastes like. Produce like this, eaten at its prime, needs little to dress it up. One of my favorite things to make is a batch of basil oil to enhance mayo for a BLT or to drizzle over either prosciutto and melon or tomato caprese. Take 10 minutes to make a batch and let me know how you like to use it! Basil Oil 2016-07-27 16:37:39 Print Ingredients 1 cup basil leaves, packed ½ cup grapeseed oil 1/8 t. kosher salt Instructions In a medium bowl, add a cup of ice and fill with cold water. Drop basil leaves in small pot of boiling water and turn off heat. Immediately remove basil from hot water, strain and plunge into the prepared ice bath. After a few minutes, strain basil and squeeze dry between two dinner plates. Add basil, oil and salt to your blender. Blend until smooth. Notes I like to use this flavorful oil as is unless I’m catering a fancy party, then I strain the beautiful, bright green oil through a cheese cloth. Store in refrigerator in a mason jar for up to 3 days. By Heidi Kise Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Blueberry Gelato June 30, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Blueberry Gelato 2016-06-30 10:18:09 Print Blueberry Gelato Plain Base (Recipe below) 3 cups fresh blueberries 1/4 cup sugar 2 T. fresh lemon juice Plain Base 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 large egg yolks 2⁄3 cup sugar Blueberry Gelato Make the plain base and chill as directed. Place the blueberries in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with the sugar, then add the lemon juice; toss until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries are well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the pan of blueberries over medium low heat and cook until the blueberries pop and soften completely and the syrup just starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. (Blueberries may be prepared a day ahead) Place the blueberries in a blender or food processor, add half of the base, and blend until fully incorporated. Whisk into the remaining base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Plain Base In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees. Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper egg yolks by very slowly pouring in hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return custard to saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees. Do not bring to a boil. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. To cool custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir custard until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Adapted from The Ciao Bella Gelato and Sorbetto Book Adapted from The Ciao Bella Gelato and Sorbetto Book Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Chipotle Chicken and Corn Tostadas June 22, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Chipotle Chicken and Corn Tostadas 2016-06-22 21:57:26 Print Ingredients 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced, plus 2-1/2 Tbs. sauce (from one can of chipotles in adobo sauce) 1 T. vegetable oil 2 t. finely grated lime zest 1/2 t. dried oregano Kosher salt 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs 3 ears corn, husked 1/2 cup sour cream 2 t. fresh lime juice 8 tostada shells 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro Lime wedges, for serving (optional) cherry tomatoes, quartered (optional) scallions, chopped (optional) Instructions Prepare a grill to medium-high heat (400°F to 475°F). In a medium bowl, combine the minced chipotle and 2 Tbs. of the adobo sauce with the oil, lime zest, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Brush the corn lightly with oil and season generously with salt. Grill the chicken and corn, turning the chicken once and the corn a few times, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes, and the corn is charred in spots, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for a few minutes, and then cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and cut the corn off the cob. Mix the sour cream with the lime juice, the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon Adobo sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread evenly onto the tostada shells. Top with the corn, chicken, and cilantro. If using, scatter tomatoes and scallions on top and serve with the lime wedges on the side. Adapted from Fine Cooking Adapted from Fine Cooking Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Za’atar Roasted Tomato Crostini with Labeneh June 2, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Za’atar Roasted Tomato Crostini with Labeneh 2016-06-02 15:06:44 Print Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes 2 T. extra virgin olive oil freshly ground black pepper, to taste (about 5 grinds) ½ t. kosher salt 2-3 T. za’atar, to taste Za’atar Roasted Tomato Crostini with Labeneh 1 long, narrow baguette ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 T. za’atar 1 t. kosher salt few grinds of black pepper 1 cup labeneh, or substitute Greek yogurt 1 recipe Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes, recipe above Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes Line a heavy sheet pan with parchment paper. Slice the tomatoes in half. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir until they are well-coated. Place the tomatoes on the sheet pan, cut-side up, and top each with a pinch of za’atar. Roast the tomatoes in a 275 degree oven for about 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the tomatoes. The tomatoes are done when they are meltingly soft and slightly shriveled. They can be used warm or cooled to room temperature. To Make & Assemble Crostini Heat oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the baguette into ½” slices. Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil, and season them lightly with za’atar, salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a sheet pan and bake for about 10 min, turning them over when the tops are light golden brown. Bake until both sides are golden brown. Place a dollop of well-stirred labeneh (or greek yogurt) on each crostini. Top the labeneh with 2- roasted tomato halves, then dust everything with more of the za’atar. Serve immediately! By Maureen Abood Adapted from Rose Water & Orange Blossoms Adapted from Rose Water & Orange Blossoms Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/