Experiments in Baking: Part 3

Sweet Potato Pie.

I am a huge fan of this root vegetable. The experiment is that I am making an all butter pie dough from scratch and trying to get a flaky crust without shortening. Also, I am making the pie filling without a recipe, just making it up as I go with a little help from The Flavor Bible.

I had the potatoes already boiled with sugar syrup. I mashed and combined them with milk, sour cream, cinnamon, ginger, Dijon (interesting), salt, lemon juice and rum.

For the pie dough, I was careful to keep all of the butter and equipment super cold by putting them in the freezer. When I started to bake it, I got a little worried that the butter wasn't mixed enough. It looked like beurre manie. But in the end, I achieved a perfect golden brown flaky flavorful and pretty pie crust.

The filling itself wasn't that great. Edible, but the crust must have absorbed some of the sweetness. Next time, I'll add more syrup and some whipped cream.

But there was somebody who really liked it a lot. And that was my parent's dog. She jumped onto the counter and ate some! Haha!

The Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

Yeah right, a healthy chicken cordon bleu. Ok maybe I fudged just a little bit, but I still think my take on it was an out of the park success that left me licking the pan I cooked it in.

Traditionally, this dish is a breaded and pan fried and/or baked chicken breast filled with Swiss cheese and ham. I started by butterflying chicken breasts and seasoning with pepper. For the filling, I put strips of prosciutto (everything tastes good with prosciutto) and slices of Gruyere (my new favorite cheese). I sprinkled with dried parsley.

To form the stuffed pocket in the chicken, I rolled up the breasts and secured them with toothpicks. Since I didn't have breadcrumbs, I salted, pepper, and basted them in olive oil. I then seared them closed so that I could remove the toothpicks. Into the oven they went for only 17 minutes. OMG, the most delicious thing ever. I swear, I am forever going to make roasted chicken like this. It's possible that this could be the best substitution I ever made!

Anyways, after 5 minutes of cooking, I had the idea to lay cheese on the top of the breasts. I opened the oven door and quickly lay on the cheese. Good idea!

Served with my favorite olive oil-black pepper Indian rice. This was truly unforgettable. I never say this very often, but I am so talented!

Tomato and Feta Broccoli Pie

Best. Invention. Ever.

Christmas break is coming up fast and I have so much stuff that I am really having to get creative with all of my ingredients. I am trying not to go back to the grocery store unless it is for product. Tonight's menu...(inspired by Everyday Italian) Tomato and Feta Broccoli Pie.

I started with leftover broccoli and marinara from like three months ago. Tossed with some pepper, added a little Parmesan and Feta Cheese and a slice of prosciutto ( I have way to much of this to know what to do with all of it, so it is probably going to be in everything). Added parsley and covered with pizza dough. Sprayed with cooking spray and topped with a little Parmesan.

OMG!!!!! I am so amazing... who knew that tomatoes and broccoli were a magical paring? The crust was like a pizza pot was incredibly flavorful and crispy! So delicious. I have outdone myself.

Not Your Mom's Quiche

If I haven't already mentioned it, I grew up HATING eggs. In fact, my sister's first full sentence was "Sidney like aggs, Sances no like aggs!". Well, I hated them up until I tasted this! My favorite comfort food in the entire world, hands down, is quiche.

I used to teach at a cooking school and was inspired to try the Quiche Lorraine that my students and I made. I confess, I was too chicken to try it at the time, but it looked so good that I had to make it for myself. The first quiche I made was inspired by Julia Child, God I love her! She hit the nail on the head.

This one had just Swiss Cheese and a milky egg custard, but you know me. I love to be creative in the kitchen. Before long, I started to make quiche out the wazooo! My favorites have included a Sauteed Mushroom and Red Onion Quiche, a Broccoli and Prosciutto Quiche, and a Bacon Quiche Lorraine.

There are two secrets to a really great quiche. One, use a half milk and half egg ratio. It becomes like a custard that is not too egg-y, but more creamy. Make sure that the milk you use is 2%. Skim does not set right. Anything above 2% is too fatty. 2% has the perfect flavor and texture. Two, have two layers of cheese. Surprisingly, it is not really the amount of cheese, but where you put the cheese. After pre-baking the crust, add a layer of Gruyere (you can use Swiss, but Gruyere is better) cheese directly onto the crust, then add the fillings and the custard. Top with an additional layer of the cheese.

I bake until the top is golden brown and the Gruyere gets crusty. OHHHH! C'est magnifique!

Experiments in Baking: Part 2

PIZZA! Ok, so it's not 100% an experiment in baking because I've made it before like 100 times, but this time I did try a honey wheat crust and used a granite stone to get a wood-fired brick oven taste. And I made a stromboli for the first time.

There really isn't one secret to a great pizza...I like to think that its several combined together to make one exceptional.

1). Make it unique...the regular cheese and pepperoni is soooo boring

2). Make the crust ahead of time. Yes, a crust made a day in advance will have more flavor because it has fermented longer. Also, adding olive oil to the dough adds crispy texture and a little sweetness.

3). The Sauce: I layer mine like this. Tomato sauce, garlic salt, basil, parsley, and thyme, and then Parmesan cheese.

4). Super hot oven...like 500 degrees and use a pizza stone spread with cornmeal. Using this get a restaurant style crust that a regular 350 degree oven and a baking pan can not beat. Added bonus is that it cooks in about 10 minutes!

Every time I make pizza, I try to do something a little bit different with the toppings and I have a few favorites:

Ratatouille Pizza topped with Gruyere and Romano Cheese and drizzled with Olive Oil

Meatball and Parmesan Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza topped with Jack and Cilantro,

Crispy Olive Oil Pizza topped with olive oil (not sauce, which makes the bread super
crispy) Roasted Red Pepper, Italian Sausage, Red Onion, Garlic, and Black Olives,

Tomato, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese Pizza topped with lots of fresh Rosemary, Basil, and Parmesan! Italian Sausage also works great here.

This the first time that I have ever used Goat Cheese. My mom hates it, but she still ate it. Goat Cheese, I have been told by some, tastes like feet. I disagree, but it can be strong; you have to know how to use it. Here this cheese I find works better than Ricotta. It has the creaminess and richness of Neufchatel cheese, but it the strong aftertaste is cut by the acidity of the tomatoes. And it has more flavor and is healthier than Ricotta.

Everybody loved it. I may or may not have licked my plate....YUM!