It’s been quite a long time since I shared recipes that are so easy, it’s hard to call them as such. Come to think of it, my most recent post in this series was from May last year (check it out here). So, without further ado, let’s get this ball rolling!
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APPLE-PROSCIUTTO APPETIZER
Get some apples, cut them in wedges, any thickness you like. Sit the slices over a couple of crisp Romaine lettuce leaves cut the same size as the apples. Place a slice of cheese on the other side, roll it all together with prosciutto. Sit on a serving plate and drizzle balsamic vinegar reduction (store-bought is totally fine).
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AIR-FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Use small sprouts, if you can find them. Cut them in half. Place them in a bowl with very hot water for 10 minutes. Drain. Coat them lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Air-fry at the highest temperature your fryer goes, until golden brown. Probably 15 to 20 minutes. Shake them around every once in a while. I drizzled a little balsamic reduction when I served them. Love that ingredient so much… If you don’t have an air-fryer, simply use your oven at 420F.
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YUKON GOLD ROAST POTATOES
Cut each potato in half. Place them in cold salted water and boil gently for 12 minutes. Drain. Drizzle olive oil over a baking sheet that can hold them in one single layer, covered with aluminum foil (non-stick foil works great). Place them cut side down, season lightly with salt and herbes de Provence. Roast them at 420F without moving them for 20 minutes, then flip them around and roast for 5 to 10 minutes more.
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ZA’ATAR AIR-FRIED EGGPLANT
I don’t bother salting eggplant anymore, but you can if you prefer. Cut the eggplant in half, score it with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to expose the flesh. Mix a little olive oil with lemon juice, salt and za’atar. Brush all over the surface, then air-fry at 385F for 25 minutes, until the flesh is cooked, test with a fork.
I hope you enjoyed this small collection of super easy recipes. The apple appetizer is really delicious, I was inspired by a recent show from Molly Yeh (Girl Meets Farm) to make them. Normally I am not too fond of prosciutto without cooking it (like on pizza), but in that recipe it worked nicely with the apples providing nice texture.
This post is dedicated to my sister Norma, wishing her a very Happy Birthday!
A series of sourdough bread made in the past couple of monthsin the Bewitching Kitchen…
BASIC SOURDOUGH FORMULA (from the Bewitching Kitchen)
480g white bread flour 20g spelt flour 10g salt 350g water 75-90g sourdough starter at 100% hydration 1 tsp spice mix of choice (optional)
Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.
When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the two types of flour, salt and spices. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. You will notice the dough will gain quite a bit of structure even with just 4 minutes in the mixer. Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. Because the dough is already a bit developed from the initial time in the mixer, you should get very good structure after 3 and a half hours, or even sooner than that.
After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.
Next morning, heat the oven to 450F.
Place a parchment paper on top of the dough, a flat baking sheet, and invert the dough, flipping it out of the banneton. Flour the surface of the dough, add the stencil and air-brush if so desired. Score with a razor blade.
Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.
For the little hearts, the bread is painted using air-brush and a stencil, after scoring the surface with a grid pattern. The corners of each square get a small cut with scissors. One of the loaves had the little hearts outlined with black food pen, the other I left without the outline. Your kitchen, your rules…
Below, a design in which a large comb was brought to play… No, I never used the comb on my hair, it was bought just to play with bread baking… Inspired by Nicola’s recent reel on IG.
I used the Sonic blade for the scoring of this and all other loaves in this post.
We love crab cakes but they can be pretty heavy, not only for the components but the fact they are deep fried. This version is substantially lighter and it is baked in the oven. We truly loved them, so don’t let the “light” label turn you off.
12 square saltine (soda) crackers, crushed into crumbs ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt ⅓ cup chopped roasted red pepper (store-bought is fine) 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 2 to 3 dashes Sriracha sauce or more to taste salt, to taste 1 pound fresh crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage (I used 3/4 pound) 2 large egg whites
Heat the oven to 425°F, and line a large baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the saltine crumbs and parsley. Stir all the ingredients except the egg whites together, mixing them gently but well. Lightly whisk the egg whites in a small bowl, then add to the mixture, incorporating it well.
Form small crab cakes and arrange them 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the crab cakes with a spatula after 6 minutes. The crab cakes are done when they are browned and cooked through.
Comments: We served crab legs for our Christmas dinner, and had a few leftover. After my beloved husband processed it all for me, we had 3/4 pound and I went with that amount, keeping all other ingredients the same. Worked well, no issues forming the cakes or baking them. They were superb! A little arugula salad seasoned with just lemon and olive oil was the perfect match. A light meal that was more than welcome for the two of us, when the guest had left us and the normal routine started to set in.
Not my first time making it, but in the past I was not fully happy with the results. I show you two ways to decorate it, but will share only the most recent recipe, cake portion courtesy of Helen Fletcher, my beloved virtual mentor!
for the chocolate spongecake: ¾ cup sifted cake flour (75 grams) ¼ cup sifted cocoa (25 grams) ¼ teaspoon baking powder 6 eggs separated ⅔ cup sugar, divided (140 grams) 1 teaspoon vanilla
for the filling: 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g) 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (380g) or more if needed 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup 60-80ml heavy cream (60mL) or more if needed 1/3 cup black cherry jam or other jam of your choice
for the ganache coating: 170g semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
Heat the oven to 350. Spray the bottom of ½ sheet pan (11×17 inches) with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray the paper. Do not spray sides of pan. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking powder, mixing well. Set aside. Combine the egg yolks, ⅓ cup sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until very thick and very pale yellow.
In a clean mixing bowl with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar and beat until fairly stiff. Place the egg yolks over the egg whites and sift half the flour/cocoa mixture over the beaten eggs. Fold together. Fold in the remaining flour/cocoa. Gently pour into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched. Immediately cover directly with foil and place on a rack to cool completely. When ready to assemble, it will roll out easily.
Make the filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat again for another minute. Add heavy cream 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing on high until the mixture is light and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag.
Make the ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 1 hour to thicken.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Lay a large piece of aluminum foil and dust it with powdered sugar. Remove the foil on top of the cake and go around the edges of the pan with a spatula. Pick the spongecake up by the parchment and turn it out onto the powdered sugar lined foil. Remove the parchment paper. Spread the jam over the surface of the cake, then the buttercream, starting by piping large stripes of the cream over the surface (see my composite photo after the recipe). Using the foil as an assist, roll up the spongecake jelly roll style. The last roll should put the spongecake on the board. Cut the ends of the cake at a diagonal and use one or both cut pieces to make branches sitting next to the main log.
Cover the log with ganache, making a design on top with the tines of fork. Decorate with fondant pieces or meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries, chocolate leaves, whatever you desire. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving, and allow to come to room temperature before cutting your first slice.
Comments: I advise you to go to Helen’s site to get all the details of making her cake. She uses a different method to deal with the sponge cake, and it does work like a dream. The cake is covered with aluminum foil as soon as it gets baked, and is allowed to cool like that. As a result, it steams during cooling and becomes very flexible. No harm to the texture of the cake in the finished product.
I have made a Buche de Noel in the past using a different recipe for the cake, but I am much happier with Helen’s version, that calls for a classic sponge cake. You can also find in her blog post a detailed recipe for the meringue mushrooms, which I did not use this time. They are fun to make, for sure.
I love making fondant pieces, so that is what I went with… I cannot show you a picture of the cut cake because I donated it whole, but I got very nice feedback about it, and that of course made me super happy!
This post is dedicated to Kathy McMorrow, who left us on October 19th
In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, considering taking part of this fun event. It is chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.
Many gifts this time and a few things I bought myself, so let’s start this virtual walk, shall we?
From our friends Tanya and Jamie…
When they came to visit us, they brought us this amazing honeycomb! It is like honey on steroids, I had never tried it before. Absolutely lovely!
They also gave us a bottle of honey which I used to make London Fog in one of my favorite tea cups… Thank you, TANYA & JAMIE!
From our friends Marijo and Vlad…
They sent us a huge basket of oranges and grapefruit… my beloved husband made this special treat for me every morning until the grapefruits were gone! He is a keeper, but you knew that already…
From my friend Jennifer…
All the way from California, a set of PERFECT kitchen towels, I just adore the border at the bottom, what a cute detail! Thank you, Jennifer!
From our friend Dave…
Most amazingly juicy pears, they were at perfect stage of ripeness when the family visited, and everybody loved them!
From our friends Pat and Bill…
A nice soy candle and a Christmas-y kitchen towel…. We love them!
From our friends Hal and Becky…
A huge box of Leonidas chocolate…. OMG in chocolate form!
From our friends Ines and Ben…
We are addicted to this delicacy from Siena, and they made sure we enjoyed it again this year! THANK YOU! If you’ve never had panforte, you NEED to try some.
From the beautiful Hayden family…
The world’s coolest apron! Thank you so much, the fabric is perfect and wipes clean like a dream (not that I am a messy cook, of course NOT!)
From our friends Keith and Sarah…
The most exquisite Christmas tree ornament… we made sure to place it high, so that the real Dalmatians would not hurt it…
As if all that amazing honey wasn’t enough, Tanya and Jamie sent me a total beauty of a Bundt pan for Christmas!
I intend to put it to use this coming week with a special bake for Friday! Tanya (and Jamie) I don’t even know how to thank you, but Jamie, expect a constant flow of nice puns (wink, wink). It is the MINIMUM I can do!
And now my unexpected special Christmas gift from the best husband in the universe…
MEET HELEN, my new Breville mixer!
I named it Helen, as my friend and virtual mentor Helen Fletcher was the one who got me interested after she wrote this great review about it. I was not sure if I should get it, as I have some KitchenAid attachments that obviously don’t work with that mixer, but Phil splurged and I must say I adore it! Thank you Phil, and thank you Helen!
Moving on… some home improvement stuff
Speaking of a real keeper of a husband! Phil built this set of shelves for the garage and organized all his tools. It is a French cleat system, in which the little things can be moved around freely. Super awesome!
We got a new rug for the kitchen, as a certain puppy damaged the old one pretty badly. Now that she outgrew the chewing phase (fingers crossed), we felt we were ready for the upgrade.
We also got a new rug for the living room, as ours was almost 20 years old and getting really beaten (and chewed by a certain female Dalmatian). Oscar approved the color scheme!
In our kitchen…
Two pretty nice ingredients to play with: Chestnut honey from Italy (I do have a weakness for honey), and Stem ginger from the UK. Stay tuned for adventures with both.
In our kitchen…
A set of bell shaped cookie cutters. I also have a weak spot for shapes in different sizes. I needed a large bell for a recent project (featured here), and this was the best option.
In our kitchen…
A new turkey-size roaster. Ours was super old, and I wanted to make sure we had something nice for this year. Guess what? We ended up roasting NO bird at Thanksgiving and NO bird on Christmas. Oh, well. There is always 2024.
AND NOW, LET’S SEE WHAT OUR FURRY FRIENDS HAVE TO BARK…
We simply cannot get over the funny ways in which Ziggy Star Barker sleeps or gets comfortable…
Funny, who me????
Hey, I can be funny too!
Yeah, let them be funny. I am FIERCE. POWERFUL. THE ONE AND ONLY ALPHA-DOG!
The dogs were absolutely spoiled this holiday season, as we had two of the stepsons here with the kids (and one bun in the oven, to be born on March).
Here is our crowd at dinner, our house had never been so full!
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Did the pups love their visit? Judge for yourself….
Hi, this is my friend Campbell! Guess what? He was a little scared of doggies, but I made sure to be super nice and gentle so that fear is now history! We are buddies for life!
Hi, my name is Sutton, and this is my big furry friend Oscar… he loves to be hugged and even though I am a little too small I do my best!
This is our friend Star, she loves to cuddle on the sofa to watch TV. She had a blast with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas…
Prince is actually partial to 101 Dalmatians…
My name is Greenlee, and Prince is my best buddy, he does tricks for me and I give him treats. Is that going to spoil him? I hope so!
All pups were absolutely gentle with the kids, in this picture Sutton was crying and Star did not know what to do to console her… it was super sweet….
Unfortunately, contrary to our pups’ expectations, their visit had to end…
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But what matters is that we had a ton of fun together. Undoubtedly, dogs and kids are a match made in heaven… We wish you a wonderful New Year, and we will see you again in the Spring for another chapter of In My Kitchen, aka Life in the Kingdom of Tatarrax.
Bewitching Kitchen 