Beef (Venison) and Cheddar Puff Pastry Tart

Beef (Venison) and Cheddar Puff Pastry Tart
From: Las Vegas Food Adventures

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef (I used Venison)
½ cup finely diced onion
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ cup beef broth (a boullion cube is fine here)
2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Brown the ground beef in a large non-stick skillet. Add the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce soy sauce and sugar. Continue cooking over medium high heat stirring occasionally for 30 minutes until the beef browns nicely and becomes dry & crumbly.

Taste the meat; it should be nicely seasoned. Add the onions and continue cooking until they become translucent.

Mix the broth and cornstarch together. Add to the meat and cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the liquid thickens and lightly binds the meat together. Remove from the heat to cool to room temperature.

Thaw the puff pastry according to package instructions. Place one sheet on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Pile the cooled meat mixture over the sheet leaving an inch of pastry on all sides. Top with the grated cheese.

Brush the edges with the beaten egg and gently lay the second sheet of pastry over the top. Gently press around the edges to seal. With the tines of a fork, go around the crust one more time to make a decorative edge.

Brush the inside of the top lightly with the beaten egg, leaving the edges plain to allow the pastry to rise during cooking. Make several shallow slits with the tip if a sharp knife on the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated (important) 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until puffed and rich golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serves 4-6

Crepes with Ham, Cheese and Spinach Filling

I am in the process of trying to use up stuff I have in my freezer so we had savory Ham, Spinach and Cheese crepes for dinner so that I could use the crepes we got from IKEA. They were good enough, but crepes should really be served fresh out of a hot, lightly buttered pan. It was a hit:

Crepes
via Julia Childs from Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home by Julia Childs and jacques Pepin

Yields 12-15 crepes (7")

1 cup Flour, all purpose
2 Eggs, large (sometimes I have to use 3)
1 Egg Yolk
3/4 cup Milk
1/3 cup Butter, melted
2 TBS Sugar (I leave this out if I am making savory crepes)
A large pinch of Salt (I leave this out if I am using salted butter)
3/4 cup Water, warm

2 Tbs+ Butter, melted, for brushing the pan.

Filling:

1 Ham Steak, finely diced
4 slices Canadian Bacon, finely diced (optional)
10 oz. Spinach, thawed and squeezed to release extra liquid
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 - 3/4 cup Cheese (Swiss is best, but Cheddar works nicely, too) shredded

Instructions for the crepe batter
Add all ingredients to the work carafe of a blender, add the lid, and blend on HIGH for about 20 seconds. Stop the blender, scrape down the sides, replace the lid and pulse three more times. Put the blender carafe in the refrigerator and let rest for 30 minutes to 24 hours before proceeding.

To Cook Crepes:
Place a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet, crepe pan or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heat-proof pastry brush to lightly brush the pan with melted butter, taking care to get the edges of the bottom of the pan as that is where batter tends to stick.
Pour about 2-4 ounces of batter into the center of the pan and immediately tilt and swirl the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan.
Set the pan back over the heat and let it cook until the crepe has no visible wet areas on top.
Use a semi-flexible spatula to run around the edges of the crepe before lifting and turning the crepe. Cook the second side for about 10 seconds only. The goal is just to lightly color that side.
Transfer the finished crepe to a cooling rack. Repeat until you have used all the crepe batter.

For Filling:
Lightly butter the bottom of a hot pan. Add in the bacon and ham. Heat until cooked through. Remove from pan, or at least push it to the side. Lightly butter the pan again and add the spinach. Cook until it is warm. Add in the mayonnaise and the Dijon mustard. Stir to mix and heat through.

To serve place the ham, spinach and sauce mix in a thin line down the center of the crepe. Add a bit of cheese and roll up. Heat up, if needed, before serving.
Serve hot.

Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyère

I love the brief fall weather we have here. It put me in the mood to do a bit of baking on Friday night. Here's what I made:

Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyère

3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, divided
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast; let stand 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup flour and butter to yeast mixture; stir just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes.
Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to flour mixture; stir until combined. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and half of cheese; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half; shape each half into an 8-inch circle. Place dough circles on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle remaining cheese, nuts and pumpkin seeds evenly over dough circles; press lightly to adhere. Lightly coat dough circles with cooking spray; cover and let rise 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Uncover dough; bake at 400° for 28-30 minutes or until loaves are browned on the bottom and cheese melts. Cool on a wire rack.

Yields: 2-8inch rounds, 8 servings per round

Source: Cooking Light, October 2005

USA ProCycling Challenge - The Final Stage

We knew that the final stage of the USA ProCycling Challenge would be a big one. Starting in Golden and finishing in Denver, it was sure to draw big crowds. And it did, of course

Barb took the kids down to where the finish line would be by 8:00 a.m., even though the racers were not due until around 1:00 p.m. This was very important to the kids. Their efforts paid off with front row seats about 15 yards from the finish. I had school work to do so I did not join them until around 11:00 a.m.

It was an exciting place to be. There was a huge festival. People were giving away free stuff. Each of the kids got shirts for this, the final stage. The crowds gathered and started pushing in about noon. By the time the riders came by the crowds were whipped up into a frenzy. You knew it was time when the offical cars, the state patrols, the wheel cars and the camera crews came through. After treking through Golden, up and down Look Out Mountain and then to downtown, the riders had five laps left to go. By the time they arrived they had split up into four distinct groups with a lag time of about 4:30 between the leaders and the last rider. Each lap it got closer and closer. They whizzed by so quickly that we simply attempted to get some photos. We'd have to actually look to see who they were later on. By the last lap the riders had bunched into three groups and cut the time down significantly. I think they shaved off almost two mintutes. The crowd was thumping, pulsing and cheering. The riders were focused, sweaty and fast.

Even before all of the rider came through the crowds broke down the barriers and headed towards the stage for the podium event.

(to be continued)

Pumpkin Zucchini Walnut Muffins

Here is the recipe I am adapting this evening. I thought it sounded like a nice twist from the usual zucchini bread.

Zucchini Pumpkin Bread
adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts


Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until breads test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.
(I made 18 muffins and 1 miniloaf from the recipe above.)

Kathy's Baked Beans (Crock Pot Friendly Recipe)

Kathy's Baked Beans

3 cans (16 oz) Baked Beans, drained (we use VandeCamp brand)
1 med. Onion chopped finely (or 1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix)
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Dark Corn Syrup
1 tea. Paprika
1 tea. Basil
1# Bacon, cut into pieces

Place everything in a crock pot. Stir to mix. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or overnight). If you are in a rush you can do the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours.

Big Sky Chicken Salad

Big Sky Chicken-Salad Sandwiches
from Taste of South magazine, June/July 2009 issue

1/2 c slivered almonds
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c honey mustard
1/4 c apricot preserves
2 c chopped cooked chicken

Combine nuts and fruit in a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and preserves, whisking until combined. Add sauce mixture to fruit mixture, along with chopped chicken, tossing gently until combined. Spread mixture onto bread slices to make sandwiches. Serves 6.