Pumpkin doughnut bites (baked)

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: October 8, 2013

October, the month of the most beautiful moons, weather changes and…pumpkins.
Pumpkin shakes, pumpkin coffee, pies, cheesecake, soup, bread, cookies, everything pumpkin!
It’s all about the pumpkin season, spices, aromatics, baking!…what Am I baking? Pumpkin doughnut bites!

Pumpkin is so versatile,it can easily be used in sweet and savory dishes, and it makes the most comforting warm soup for the fall. For me it is always 100% worth the effort to roast them. Its so easy; the house warms up and it taste so much better than the canned stuff. My advice is to buy 3 to 4 small to medium pumpkins roast them puree them and keep them in small batches that you can freeze for feature dishes. Why small or medium pumpkins? They are easy to cut, they cook faster and you do not need 2 oompa loompas to carry them into the oven. But, if you prefer to buy a bigger one they are definitely more meaty and you can cut it into smaller pieces so it will bake faster. The more pumpkin the merrier.

This recipe is incredibly easy and rewarding, so few ingredients transform into the most delightful bites. The pumpkin flavor is enhanced by all the aromatic spices, they are like pieces of pumpkin clouds in your mouth, little pillows of comforting goodness. The pumpkin keeps the batter moist and when you bite into them, the contrast between the soft inside and crunchy sugar crystals make these doughnut like bites irresistible!..

They make the perfect little bite with your morning coffee, or afternoon cup of tea… I love them with a glass of cold milk.

Pumpkin -baked- doughnut bites

Makes 25-30 bites

Dry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Wet:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup whole milk

Roll them in:

1 stick of butter melted in a small bowl

In a separate bowl combine the next three ingredients:

2/3 cup fine granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350F/ 176C

1.-

In a medium bowl whisk all dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients.

With a spatula, combine wet and dry ingredients until well incorporated. (do not over mix).

2.-

Proceed and grease 2 mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.

Using a small Ice cream scooper (1.5” inch diameter works best for a mini muffin pan)
scoop the batter immediately.

Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.

3.-

Cool them on a rack for about 15 minutes.

Proceed to quick coat them into the melted butter, making sure to drip the excess butter before dumping them into the sugar-cinnamon dust. Roll them until well cover and tap the bites to remove any excess sugar-cinnamon. Place them on a cooling rack and allow to dry for about 30 minutes. Keep them in an air tight container far away from reach… they are highly addictive. Enjoy!

Keep them in an air tight container far away from reach… they are highly addictive. Enjoy!

Bite me!

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 4

Lobster Mac and Brie

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: October 1, 2013

I was listening to the B-52’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepSPpU4S2o when I started to crave Lobster… and then macaroni… and then cheese…eureka! Lobster Mac and Brie cheese!
My cooking process sometimes get fired up in mischievous ways… I definitely was craving macaroni and cheese… “the bad one”, the one that comes in a little blue box with radioactive namaste orange cheese powder…. yes, I must confess sometimes I do crave things that are not to good for me but they bring me a sense of un-complicated comfort…
No, I did not succumb to the blue box, in fact I Rock-ed it out and made a great version of Macaroni, throwing some lobster in it. (There goes my “un-complicated comfort” uh?)
By applying a few macaroni principles you can have the most luscious, silky cheese macaroni.

Four Macaroni Commandments:

1-Thou Shall Use Ridged macaroni elbows…

It makes a huge difference, the amount of cheese sauce that sticks to the pasta is extremely desirable.

2- Thou Shall Use No Flour or Rue In Your Sauce…

This is a controversial statement; I’m convinced that if you use the right amount of cheese and cream in the sauce, there is no need to add flour to thicken the sauce, the sauce will not curdle and it will make the sauce light and silky.

3-Thou Marry Thy Ingredients Before Baking….

‘Al dente’ pasta + silky sauce = perfect creamy and light consistency with out over cooking it.
When adding the pasta to the cheese sauce, let them talk to each other for a couple of minutes, this will allow the pasta to absorb the extra liquids in the cheese sauce and flavor the pasta before reaching a high temperature when it hits the oven.

4- Thou Shall Bake the macaroni cheese at a high temperature for a short period of time…

The high temperature will allow to form the desirable outside crust and the short period of time will allow the pasta to keep its creamy gooey inside.
I promise if you stick by these four commandments you will always have a great success in your mac & cheese!
Make sure you are listening to the B-52’s…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepSPpU4S2o

Lobster Mac and Brie

Serves 4 mermaids or 2 sailors

3 cups -1 lbs. Ridged macaroni elbows (since the sauce does not have flour, you can easily substitute for any gluten-free pasta like quinoa which has great flavor and texture)
2-4 6oz Lobster tails
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine (California Chardonnay or a Dry Riesling will work great)
8-10 oz triple cream Brie cheese (If you do not like Brie, you can substitute any creamy milder cheese you prefer…like cream cheese or baby cheddar)
2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove
1 lemon:
the juice and the zest of ½ a lemon
½ lemon sliced
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of cornstarch diluted in 1 tablespoon of milk.
2 ears of sweet corn ( approx. 2-3 cups of corn kernels)
1 teaspoon kosher salt /plus more for cooking the pasta
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.

To garnish:

3 green scallions finely chopped
1 or two pinches of smoked paprika
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
Lemon wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/205 C

1.-

In a medium pot of boiling salted water add lemon slices and a bay leaf and cook the Lobster tails for about 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, immediately remove them and shock them in an ice cold water bowl to stop the cooking process.
After cooling them in ice water for a few minutes crack the back of the shell open with kitchen shears to make it easier to peel.
(See picture below). Remove the shells and slice into medallions. Set aside. (the lobster should appear a little under done, it will finish cooking in the oven)

2.-

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking start your sauce in a separate pot. Bring wine to a simmer add garlic clove, turn down the heat and add the heavy cream, butter, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, dijon mustard. Bring to a slow simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch. With a wooden spoon stir slowly for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Simmer for ten more minutes. Remove the garlic clove. Stir in the Brie cheese until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add the corn kernels cook for 3-4 minutes. Fold the macaroni into the sauce, mix, and let it cook, stirring occasional on a low heat for 3-4 minutes until the sauce appears to have a little thicker consistency.

3.-

Pour the macaroni into a 2 – 8” oval ramekins / or 4 – 4” ramekin dishes. Arrange the Lobster medallions on top of the macaroni and add a few dices of butter. Save the tales for garnish, see picture below.
Top the macaroni with chopped scallions, a pinch of smoked paprika and the seasoned panko bread crumbs. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

ROCK- Lobster Macaroni & Brie Cheese…make it soon!

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 5

Devil’s Chocolate and Ganache Cake…get happy!

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 26, 2013

Chocolate, One of the most beautiful words in the world!… Just to say the word makes me happy, and reminds me of the Judy Garland song… when I’m making this Devil’s Chocolate and Ganache Cake. I always think positive thoughts. When it comes out of the oven, Hallelujah!.. get happy… forget your troubles…you better chase all you cares away… Oh yeah! That’s how happy this chocolate cake makes me. And well what else is there to say about the comfort that brings you when you bake your own cake?. The whole house smells like warm endorphins that activate your happy brain cells.
It’s a simple batter. You’ll need one bowl or two, and the best quality butter and cocoa powder you can get. The better your ingredients, the better results you will get.
That’s one of the keys when you are baking: always use good quality ingredients (from the eggs to the vanilla extract). If you care about them, it will be fantastic!. All ingredients when you are baking MUST be at room temperature. Read the recipe twice. Measure everything correctly using measuring cups for dry ingredients and a larger liquid measuring cup for wet ingredients. Get in the baking groove, nice music, enjoy yourself…
Here is some music link that will set your baking mood… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGk3tY4yP7k

Devil’s Dark Chocolate Cake… get happy!

Makes 1 -12 cup bundt cake

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped *
½ cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ – ¾ cup dutch Process cocoa Powder (Valrhona, Cocoa Barry)
1 tablespoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup strong-brewed coffee -not hot just warm.(I used Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso powder)
1 cup of butter milk ( or 1 cup of whole milk + 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven 350F / 176C
Butter and dust with cocoa a 12 cup bundt pan.
Melt the bitter sweet chocolate, using a double boiler on low heat, stirring constantly. Scrape the melted chocolate into a medium size bowl and let cool slightly.
Whisk in the melted butter, oil, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix.
In a small bowl, Mix the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt.
Start by combining half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with ½ cup of the coffee and ½ a cup of the butter milk. Whisk until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and butter milk and whisk. until smooth.
Poor the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for about 10-15 minutes, then turn it out and let it cool completely.

* My favorites: 70% Cacao Bittersweet Scharffen Berger, 72% bitter-sweet Michael Cluizel, El Rey Venezuelan chocolate, 70%- 80% Callebaut.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream
10 oz. Semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate finely chopped.
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of agave nectar
1 tablespoon of brandy or cognac or any liquor of your preference. ( omit this ingredient if cooking for kids)

Method:

In a small pot heat the heavy cream until small bubbles form around the pan ( do not let it boil)
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium size bowl, pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate let it stand for 3-4 minutes so the chocolate warms through. Whisk gently until the mixture is smooth, add butter mix until is melted, add the liquor mix. Add the agave nectar for a shiny finish.

Spoon the Ganache over the cake… save extra for plating.. for when you want a little more …

Sprinkle cayenne pepper or cinnamon for a little accent on the cake…

Get happy, Chocolate cake!

Music Pairing:Judy Garland “Get Happy”

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 6

Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey- Mustard Vinaigrette

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 24, 2013

Feeling blue?…Have some greens!. Kale is the number one power green, full of nutrients and rich in flavor.
If you wonder what the color green should taste like… it tastes just like kale.
It’s high percentage in Beta carotene, Vitamin K, vitamin A, Vitamin C, manganese, iron, potassium, calcium and fiber, make it the king of the greens. The season for this green is Autumn and Winter.
Kale salad will lift up your mood and give you plenty of energy through out the day.
There is Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Premier, Redboar, Siberian, Walking stick kale, Red russian, Kamome red, *sight and I assure you I’m missing more varieties, this are just a few of the ones I know and I’ve tried.
I remember the first time I tried Kale it was a bit intimidating, I felt like I was eating some prehistorical plant; it is a bit hard to chew when is raw and most of the varieties develop their nutrients and are easier to digest when they are steamed.
I’ve tried different cooking methods, some favorites of mine: Curly and Dino kale make great baked chips, Kamome is great for steaming it holds its shape beautifully, and the Redbor Kale I love it in salads like this because it adds great texture, I usually cut it or tier it in small pieces because is easier to chew, the vinaigrette helps to tenderize the leafy texture and what is great is that kale will not wilt when you add the vinaigrette.
Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey- Mustard Vinaigrette is a nutritious and delicious combination. Kale, lentils, walnuts for some crunch is just what you need to boost your energy. This salad Makes a great Lunch or a light dinner side dish.

Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey- Mustard Vinaigrette.

Serves 4

4 cups of Redbor kale (washed and pad dry) ( you can use Dino Kale )
2-3 cups of cooked green lentils*
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 red bell pepper finely diced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
A couple of tablespoons of Bulgarian Feta cheese

Honey- Mustard vinaigrette

2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Extra virgin Olive oil
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons of honey or ambar agave nectar.
the juice and zest of ½ lime or lemon.
Fresh ground pepper to taste.

*How to cook Lentils?

These green Lentils are best cook in lots of salted water, just like pasta. Bring water to a boil add 1 generous teaspoon of kosher salt and a Bay leaf. Add the lentils, bring back to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to low and gentle simmer you barely want to see little bubbles on the top. Cook for another 15-20 minutes with no lid. after 15 minutes check on doneness. I like mine al-dente, specially for a salad like this, I want them with a bite. So I usually remove from heat at 15 minutes and cover them for another 10 minutes. Strain them and let them air dry for a few minutes on a single layer in flat tray. I usually serve this salad with barely warm lentils, I love the texture and comfort.

Directions:

Start by removing the stems of the kale leaves and breaking the pieces into small bite size. In a small bowl whisk the vinaigrette ingredients. In a platter, layer the kale, lentils, chopped onions, red bell pepper, parsley and walnuts. Drizzle over the mustard vinaigrette. Mix and top it all with crumbled feta cheese.
Serve the salad at room temperature. It is also great in a pita with some Greek yogurt or served in avocado halves!!!

Enjoy!

Music Pairing: Don’t Worry be happy – Bob Marley

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 2

Dos Lunas Grilled Cheese & Plum Chutney Sandwich

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 20, 2013

Red juicy plums got me in trouble this time. I saw them at the market and when I grabbed them I could feel the juicy flesh of the fruit. I bought some and ate 3 on the way home, and then I went back to the market and bought some more. I think too many… so what to do with an extra pound of plums? “Chutney!”, I open my fridge what else did I have available? Oh! Yes, jalapenos! No matter what, I always have fresh jalapenos in my fridge.. (ask Ian) A little spicy green chile will always save you and kick up the flavor of any meal. I had some ginger (not too shabby) some cinnamon (great spice and aromatic) I was not even thinking about it when I realized I was already making the chutney… My mouth waters.. Juicy and sweet red plums chunks, a hint of spice from the jalapeno, aromatic cinnamon and fresh ginger to brighten up the flavor! The kitchen smelled like a sinful geisha wardrobe. (oops rewind that!) It smelled great, so I had to try it… where? In what? With what?… On a melted ham and cheese sandwich! Oh yes my friends, a sinful combination. One more time, before my eyes something so simple can become so ridiculously good.

Although, to be honest the major protagonist of this sandwich act, is the Classico cheese from Dos Lunas.

I first sampled Dos Lunas cheese at our local farmer’s market and I loved it from the start. Its made by a local artisan cheese maker named Joaquin Avellan, a Venezuelan transplant who missed his families’ cheese so much he began to make his own here in Texas. He makes several varieties from local UNPASTUERIZED cow’s milk. This allows his cheese a greater complexity of flavor which is normally ruined by heat when the milk is pasteurized. Due to regulations, unpasteurized cheese can only be sold in the US after being aged two months, hence Dos Lunas (Two Moons).

I chose his ‘Classico” cheese for this recipe because of its melting qualities and particular flavor. This cheese has some nutty notes and taste like the grass in Schulenburg, Tx where 60 happy cows produce the milks that this amazing cheese is made off. Its creaminess greatly complements the plum chutney and smokey salty ham. This cheese Its also great as a stand alone to eat all on its own. If you’re curious about picking up some of this ‘Classico cheese’, follow the link at the end of this entry.

This delicious spicy plum chutney over melted Dos Lunas Classico cheese piled on some thinly sliced smoked ham on sprouted wheat bread will send you over the moon…or two.

Dos Lunas Grilled Cheese & Plum Chutney Sandwich.

Makes 2

4 tablespoons of Red Plum, jalapeno chutney Enough cheese to make you smile!…I used Dos Lunas Classico it melts beautifully!, if you are not in Austin, Texas, you can use: Emmental, Swiss or Baby Swiss.

4 thin slices of smoked ham or Bavarian ham.

4 bread slices ( I used 7 seeds-sprouted whole wheat bread)

2-4 tablespoons of butter.

Vegans & Vegetarians: You can use any firm tofu, it will be fantastic if you saute the tofu to give extra crust. And shredded carrots with a little bit of sea salt to substitute the ham.

Use any Vegan margarine spread or coconut oil to give the bread a crusty top, It will be a fantastic sandwich!

Red Plum – Jalapeno & Ginger Chutney

Makes 2-3 cups

8-12 ripe Red plumps pitted and cut in quarters and eights.
¼ cup sugar (mascabado, or raw)
6 tablespoons of agave nectar
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1-2 small diced jalapenos
1-2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 stick of mexican cinnamon
A dash of ground clove.

Making the chutney:

Over medium high heat in a stainless steel pan place the plums, sugar, agave and cinnamon stick. Let the plums warm trough about 4-5 minutes. Once that the sugar and agave start looking bubbly, add the grated ginger, diced jalapenos, cider vinegar, olive oil and the dash of clove. Let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the juices look translucent and some of the plums have started to get soft and you can smash them easily with a spoon. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Built your sandwich:

Spread butter one side of the two bread slices and place in hot griddle or pan. Build your sandwich on one slice starting with the ham, then 2 tablespoons of the chutney then cover with sliced Dos Lunas cheese. Toast the bread slices in the pan for 2-3 minutes until the buttered side gets color. Then place the pan under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes. Finally top the melted cheese and other ingredients with the plain toasted slice to create your sandwich. Eat while very warm!!! A nice glass of beer or milk will go great…enjoy. To learn more about Dos Lunas and how to get some of their cheese: www.doslunascheese.com

To learn more about Dos Lunas and how to get some of their cheese: www.doslunascheese.com

The cheese used in this recipe was donated by Dos Lunas Cheese….Thank you Joaquin!

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 3

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 14, 2013

The title says it all, Salmon Sliders… what’s not to like about a small handmade bun filled with seared salmon and topped with yogurt, cucumber, dill sauce? That’s what I call a healthy way to have my buns. This recipe is great for entertaining, pool parties, or a late brunch. They taste great room temperature or right out of the oven.
Making the buns might sound very elaborate, well it’s not! 45 minutes, so easy you will love to make them. You do have to plan ahead of time, but like I said the results are incredible, 100 % worth it to make them. These mini buns are so light and flavorful you are not gonna want to use store-bought any more…
It is so relaxing to knead the dough by hand and enjoy the process. While the dough is proofing you can finish up the prepping for the burgers and in less than you think you will have the best sliders ever. Baking this babies one day before will work too…the beauty of slow cooking.
The buns recipe make about 12-14 mini buns, feel free to combine sizes, I made 2 -5”inches diameter and 8-3”mini buns. I wrapped the extra buns in plastic wrap and freeze them I think the will be good for about 4 to 6 weeks on the freezer, for future Salmon Sliders.
I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did! Have fun.

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce

To make 4- 8 mini sliders

1 – 2 pound Salmon fillets cut into 2”x 4” pieces or the best size you can(see picture below)
Path them dry and salt and pepper them both sides right before cooking.
1 recipe of Mini slider buns ( see below)
½ red onion
4-6 Radishes
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar , salt and pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado in slices
3-4 Lettuce leaves
¼ cup Kalamata Olives
6-8 Long bamboo skewers

For the yogurt sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt
½ English or pickling cucumber
1 tablespoon of dry dill or 2 tablespoons of fresh.
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon celery salt
1 small garlic clove
the zest of one yellow lemon
Place everything on a blender or using a hand blender purée into well combined. Keep it chilled.

Slider Buns

Makes 12-14 / 3”- mini buns

½ cup luke water
½ cup luke warm whole milk
1 tablespoon active dry-yeast
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg room temperature
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil (butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil are good substitutions)
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

1. In a Large metal bowl pour the warm water.Sprinkle the active dry-yeast and sugar. Let it stand for 5 minutes until yeast is dissolved.
2.In a medium size bowl combine the luke warm milk, egg, oil, salt whisk well. Add this mixture to the yeast and combine.
3.Add the flour to this mixture one cup at the time while mixing with your hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 3 minutes until mostly combined.
4. Place the dough ball into a surface dusted with flour and start kneading it with your hands against the counter in folding movements for about 5-8 minutes min. The dough ball should look smooth and soft. (I’ve find the hand method works best. you can tell when the dough is ready by feeling it and the warmth of your hands helps develop the yeast.)
5.Proceed to shape the dough into a ball, and divide into 12-14 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Start by forming a tight ball with each piece using your hand like a scoop against the counter, making circular movements. Place them about 2-3 inches apart into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper giving them enough room for proofing. Cover with a clean cotton kitchen towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven 400F/200C
7.Once they have doubled in size, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds. If you don’t care for sesame seeds, just brush them with butter or olive oil.
8.Place baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven and bake the buns for about 12-14 minutes or until deep golden brown tops and bottom.

Your kitchen by now smells like heaven!!!
Pull them out of the oven let them rest for 2-3 minutes on the tray and then transfer them into a cooling rack.

To Assemble:

On a very hot skillet sauté the Salmon fillets about 2-3 minutes per side leaving the centers slightly pink. Set them aside.
Thinly slice the red onion and radishes and combine them in a small bowl adding a little rice vinegar salt and pepper.
Cut the slider buns in half and slightly toast them , start assembling the sliders.
Place the bottom bun , lettuce , salmon , yogurt –cucumber-dill sauce, radishes and onions place the bun top and with a long skewer passing and olive through it and secure the mini buns…. Time to eat!
*Assembling the sliders in this order will prevent the bun to get soggy. Always use the lettuce as bun protector.

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce ~ Yes, more please!

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 7

Raspberry Pistachio Tart

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 11, 2013

I know you might be asking why Raspberries in September?…. I have no Idea! Usually berry season is from June to mid August… I was planning to get some stone fruit… and what grabbed me were these ruby-red fruits. I guess this will be the last post to say good-bye to the summer and what a better farewell that a Raspberry Pistachio Tart. Here in Texas its still warm and we are on the high of 90F… but we are finally starting to experience some weather changes.
I’m ready to welcome to the baking season!!! Yes, gear up those ovens because we will bake… and we will bake a LOT!… in the meantime, just to warm up and dust off the oven I made this tart as my farewell summer treat. Fresh raspberries, buttery pistachio crust, a layer of hazelnut cream, vanilla bean pastry cream .… *sigh*
I have no further explanation on this simple and delicious dessert, you can make the components one or even two days in advance and assemble an hour before you want to serve it… It is one simple and delightful sweet treat…

Raspberry Pistachio Tart

Serves 10-12

3-4 cups chilled pastry cream (recipe follows)
1 Tart Shell cooked and room temperature (see recipe follows)
½ cup of nutella warmed up.
2-3 cups of fresh raspberries
¼ cup Extra toasted pistachios and powder sugar to dust.

For the Pastry cream:

2 cups of whole Milk
½ cup sugar
½ Vanilla Bean paste or Vanilla Bean pods.
5 egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons of unsalted cold butter cut into small squares.
pinch of salt

Directions:

In a small sauce pan , combine the milk, ¼ cup of sugar , and pinch of salt. Cook until the mixture became to a simmer or small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Set a side do not let it come to a boil.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, ¼ sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Slowly and while whisking at all times temper the egg yolks by adding about 1/3 cup of the hot milk-mixture, once incorporated continue adding the rest of the hot milk. Once is all incorporated, Pour mixture back in the sauce pan and cook on medium heat for about 8-10 more minutes, whisking constantly until starts to thicken. With a cooking thermometer, make sure the pastry cream riches 160 F.
Transfer to a bowl and keep whisking to cool down the mixture and start adding the cold butter one square at a time. Whisking for about 5- 8 minutes until the pastry cream cools down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the pastry cream, this will ensure the formation of a skin. Refrigerate until well chilled at least 2-4 hours. Works best to chill overnight. When ready to use, just whisk thoroughly by hand to smooth consistency.

For the Tart Shell :

1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup powder sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 ¼ cup un-bleached all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted shelled and finely ground pistachios. ( You can use Almonds, pecans any nut of your preference.)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of heavy cream
¼ teaspoon almond extract
In a large bowl combine the butter and powder sugar until well combined and creamy. (you can use a hand mixer, an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a wood spoon and your strong-arm!). Add egg yolks and almond extract mix for about a minute until well incorporated. (Scrape the side of the bowl to get everything evenly combined) Start adding the flour 1/3 at the time. Mix gently, add the ground pistachios, salt, and cream. Mix just enough until all the flour is incorporated maybe 1 minute or less. The less you mix the more tender the crumb in your tart. Place all the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, flatten to form a 1 inch tick block the shape of your tart mold round, square or rectangular, this step will help you later on when is time to roll the dough. Wrap tight, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, is better over time.

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 375 F/ 190 C
Lightly flour your work surface, roll out the dough to about ¼- inch thickness. And fit it carefully into your pan. Use your fingers to slightly press the dough into the edges and with a paring knife cut the edges. ( see picture below). Line the tart dough with a piece of parchment paper and pie weights* to bake and Place the pan into a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the paper and the pie weights and bake for about 8-10 more minutes or until golden brown. If the edges are getting to toasty cover them with foil and keep baking until the center is golden brown.
Lets talk about pie weights, they are usually used for what is called “blind baking” which is a technique used to bake these types of crusts so as to prevent them from shrinking and puffing up also to bake the crust more evenly. You can buy pie weights at any baking-supply store, or use any type of beans or rice that you are gonna designate their use for only this purpose. I used old nuts in a shell, the house smells great when I use them…

Assembling the tart:

Evenly spread the warm Nutella into the bottom of the tart shell. Spoon the pastry cream and spread in an even layer. Top and garnish with fresh raspberries, pistachios and dust with powder sugar.
Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold enjoy!

Nutella layer…

Pastry cream layer…

Raspberry layer…

Powder sugar dust…

ENJOY!

Variations…

I used a 12 “x 16” rectangular pan with a removable bottom it makes the un-molding so easy.
You also can make this recipe into an individual 4” tarts it will make around 8-10, or a 12” round or 2 -8” round tarts
Pastry cream: you can add lemon or orange zest.
For the crust: You can interchange any nut you like, or omit it and replace the 3 ½ cup of nuts for flour.
For the spread: If you don’t like Nutella (I believe there’s nobody on the face of earth that does not likes it) replace with melted chocolate of your preference, dark or milk .

Vegan version…

Replace Butter for 2/3 cup of earth balance spread or vegan margarine. Replace heavy cream with almond milk or coconut butter.
Replace pastry cream for soybean yogurt adding vanilla paste and some agave nectar.
Replace the Nutella, for melted vegan chocolate.

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 2

Baked eggs in Baguette + Smoked Gouda Sauce – a.k.a “Bagueggs”

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 7, 2013

For Ian and I, Sundays mornings are the best mornings of the week, we wake up with no schedule, we take our time to enjoy our coffee, enjoy the morning listening to music, wearing our pajamas and our biggest plan is: whats for breakfast-brunch?.

We love eggs in any shape, color, form, or cooking method, my favorite eggs are poached or baked in ramekins with cream where you can dip the crusty baguette into the yolk- creamy goodness ah!….Eureka! That’s when it hit me. Why not omit the ramekins, and cook the egg into the baguette? That’s when the “Baguegg” conquest started. We picked up the bread on sunday morning, I cut them into cylinders, remove some of the inners, spread some butter and cream inside, crack the egg and there you have it, the perfect vessel for your egg.

At the beginning I was worried about the crust becoming more like a crouton! But when they come out of the oven they where perfect. The egg and cream add the right moisture inside out so the baguette does not over crunch-iffy. The egg cooks perfectly with runny egg yolk and custardy egg whites. And to top it all off , I made a cheesy sauce with smoked gouda… Talk about indulgence….

We always eat as healthy as we possibly can during the week and save our cravings for Sunday morning. So why not indulge a little?…….After all, it is finally Sunday and life is short so enjoy the ride! Can it be Sunday soon, please?

Baked eggs in Baguette + Smoked Gouda Sauce – A.K.A “Bagueggs”

Serves 4 or 2 hungry brunchers.

1 Baguette Traditional, crusty good, artisanal quality.

4 eggs.

2 tablespoons of heavy cream.

2 tablespoons of butter.

Salt and fresh ground pepper.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1 cup Smoked gouda shredded
1/3 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of butter
1 pinch cajun pepper powder
fresh cracked black pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
pinch of salt.
1/4 cup of whole milk if needed to adjust the thickness of the sauce.

Beer cheese Sauce variation:

1 tablespoon of butter
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cup Stout beer, Guinness will be best.
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pinch of cajun pepper powder
fresh cracked black pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 F/ 200 C

Cut the baguette into 4 pieces around 4”/ 20 cm. long and remove ¾ of the inners being careful to leave some inner bread in the bottom so the egg does not escape. Brush the inside of the baguette pieces with heavy cream and spread with a ½ tablespoon of butter. Place the baguette cylinders standing up on a baking tray lined with some parchment paper. Crack 1 egg inside of each baguette cylinder.

Bake at 400 for the first 5 minutes. Lower the heat 350 and bake for about 8-10 more minutes. Keep in mind that these cooking times work with large eggs at room temperature. You might need to adjust the recipe time, about 5 to 8 more minutes if your eggs were in the refrigerator. Keep an eye on them. The best way to know when the egg is ready, look at the whites on the top of the baguetta, they turn translucent white, and a bit shiny.YOu are looking for a simmilar donnennes of a poached egg or a soft boil egg with a runny yolk. (look at picture below.)

Prepare the Cheese Sauce:

While the bagueggs are in the oven, prepare the cheese sauce.

In a small saucepan heat the milk, heavy cream, butter and cajun powder until you see small bubbles on the edge of the pan, add the cheese little by little stirring slowly until all cheese is incorporated. bring down the heat to the lowest. Add pepper, salt and pepper , if it is to thick you can add a little bit of milk stir until well combined and creamy velvety consistency.

Variation: Beer cheese Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sprinkle the flour. With a whisk combine the melted butter and flour. Cook until golden brown for about 30-45 seconds. You want to create a light roux. Once the flour slightly changed color to a light golden, lower the heat, and with the help of a whisk, promptly add the beer whisking at all time to avoid any lumps. Whisk until beer and the roux are well incorporated. Add heavy cream, whisk just until combined, let it warm up then add cheese and slowly whisk until melted. Season with a pinch of cayenne pepper, add salt and black pepper to taste. If consistency is too thick add a bit more beer… heehehe
Keep sauce warm on the lowest heat and stir often to avoid a skin on the top of the sauce.

To serve:

Remove tray from oven and using a flat spatula or tongs to transfer them to the plate. Serve each baguegg with a generous 2-3 ladles of the warm cheese sauce. Sprinkle with chives, and a few crancks of black pepper.
On the side, I like to serve them with a fresh slice of tomato and peppery arugula, it refresh and lighten every bite. a small leafy salad of greens dressed with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper will be delicious too

Enjoy!

Listening to:

Pin It

View Post or View Comments 7

← Previous 1 … 18 19 20 … 22 Next →