Flashback Friday / Cottage Cheese Rolls

As part of Flashback Friday I have used this pastry recipe and baked up some savory appetizers instead of this sweet version. Anyway you make it, sweet or savory, this is a great recipe. Scroll all the way down to see what I have added. Baking directions remain the same. 

I have been making these tasty rolls for almost 30 years now. My cousin Anne has shared the recipe with many of us. It can served on a tray of dainties glazed with a thin layer of icing, or with out the glaze and serve them alongside a bowl of soup and salad. Whether you choose to serve them sweet or savory, they are delicious! A very quick and easy to make recipe that is very popular among our circles and in our churches, but perhaps for some of you it is a new recipe. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen before you bake it guaranteeing  freshly baked warm rolls.



Dough

• 2 cups of unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups of creamed cottage cheese (1% works fine too)
• 1 cup butter or hard margarine
• pinch of salt optional

1. With a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour and salt if using.
2. Add the cottage cheese and knead into a ball of dough just comes together like you would for biscuits.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
4. Chill the dough for a few hours as this dough is very soft and sticky if you don't
5. Roll each ball into a 10-12" circle. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
6. Starting at the wide end roll towards the narrow.
7. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze.
8. Take them out of the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes (no need to thaw them first). When they get golden brown flecks they are done. So watch your oven carefully. Each oven bakes slightly different hence the time difference.
9. Serve them plain or glazed.

Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons milk 

1. Mix these ingredients together and lightly brush over warm rolls.

Try making the dough and roll little sausages in the pastry for a tasty treat. 

Or how about using the pastry for making some Turnovers with your choice of filling. These are Tuna turnovers.....very tasty. 

Check out Julie's Gluten Free version here.

Chocolate Espresso Pavlova Cookies (Gluten Free)

This naturally gluten free drop cookie is so quick and easy to make. I found the inspiration for this great recipe on Rock Recipes. It satisfies a chocolate craving and makes a bowl of ice cream  and strawberries feel like a special dessert.  

• 3 cups icing sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder (I use Starbucks)
• 3/4 cup egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients through a sieve 3 times until it all looks the same color.
3. Add the egg whites, vanilla, and vinegar and beat together until thick and glossy and smooth.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray the parchment lightly with cooking spray.
6. Drop 12  large teaspoons of cookie dough on each cookie sheet.
7. Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies puff up and have a crackled top.
8. Let the cookies completely cool before removing from parchment paper.

Makes 36 cookies

Moroccan Stew with Chicken

I first had this dish at my sisters and immediately made a copy of her hand written recipe.

When I went home I thought the title sounded familiar and sure enough, I found the source.

I'd not been attracted to the recipe earlier as the spices seemed a bit too exotic for our taste.

But having tasted it, I was proven wrong. It is delicious.

I don't usually post other people's recipes but this was such a good one I wanted to share it.

I did make it my own by increasing the spices and adding chicken to make it "non-vegetarian" for my meat loving husband.

Credit for this recipe goes to Janet and Greta Podleski from their "Looneyspoons Collections".

serves 6

•  2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
• 1-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 a yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery

In a large saute pan or fry pan, heat oil and add remaining ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.  Add the following ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed to equal about 3 cups
• 1 14 oz/398 ml can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth*
• 1 14oz/398 ml can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh or frozen ginger (see this ginger tip) Do not use powdered ginger
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoon each, curry powder, coriander, chili powder and cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ( I like to use the seasoned pepper such as Montreal steak spice)

Bring to a boil and then cover it, simmering the stew over low heat for about 20 minutes or until yams are soft but not mushy. Then add:

• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken *
• 1/2 cup Thompson raisins (the black ones)
• 2-4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley or Cilantro

Stir together and simmer for another 5 -7 minutes.  Top with additional chopped Parsley or Cilantro and serve in pasta bowls.

* To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth and omit the chicken.

Coffee Cake Muffins

Nothing like a warm muffin and a good cup of coffee to share with a friend.
I got this recipe from my friend Eileen and it hit the spot just right.

Streusel Topping:

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon.
2. Cut in the butter to make coarse crumbs. 
3.  Add walnuts and mix well. 

Batter:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup of sour milk* or buttermilk (*to make sour milk add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and let stand or 5 minutes). 

1. Mix in all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
2. Cut in the butter to make coarse crumbs. 
3. Add the sour  milk and beaten egg to the dry mixture and stir until just moistened. Do not over mix. 
4. Fill greased muffin tins half full. Top with half the streusel. Add remaining batter and top with remaining streusel. 
5. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes until golden brown or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Mango Salad for a Crowd (with video)

With mango season starting, I thought I'd re-post this salad using amounts to feed a crowd of 40-50. For a smaller size, check here. It is one of my favorites to serve for a family or staff picnic or BBQ, because it is always almost certain that it will become someone else's favorite as well. The colors and blended flavors are unique as they are beautiful. Once you get past the fear of cutting up a dozen mangoes, it is fun to prepare. If you are still uncertain about how to cut up a mango, see the two minute video attached.

 Ingredients:

• 12 mangoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 English cucumbers, chopped 
• 1 medium sized jicama*, peeled and cubed finely (about 3 cups)
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped

dressing:

• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or light olive oil)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice 
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp chili

Method:

1. Mix dressing ingredients.
2. Pour dressing over salad ingredients about an hour or two before serving. Refrigerate or keep in cooler with ice if taking on a picnic. Leftovers keep for a few days refrigerated and can be served like fruit salsa on fish tacos or on salmon.

*jicama is a Mexican root vegetable with a similar texture to a turnip or water chestnut. It adds a nice crunch to the salad. To peel, slice a piece off the bottom and top so it can sit firmly on a cutting board, while you hold and slice down the sides with a sharp paring knife.

Wild Rice Pancakes

A friend of ours said he had ordered wild rice pancakes in a restaurant and had really enjoyed them. He wondered if I could make them:) That intigued me so went in search of wild rice in my cupboard. All I had was a wild rice blend which worked just fine. These pancakes turned out nice and fluffy with a bit of a nutty texture and flavor. Delicious drizzled with pancake syrup and served with a side dish of strawberries.

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup wild rice blend, cooked

1. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
2. In another bowl combine dry ingredients.
3. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until combined, stir in melted butter and cooked rice.
4. Heat up your lightly greased griddle to medium high heat. 
5. Using a small ladle, scoop batter on the grill. Cook approx 2 minutes or until golden in color. Flip pancakes and cook another 2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately..at least that is how we like them.
7. Yields: 8 pancakes

New Vareneki Dough (Perogy)

I got this recipe from my friend Elsie who has been making perogies for generations.  She too got the recipe from her mother and her mother before that. As usual, the recipe said "add enough flour to make a soft dough". Her daughter Lorrie, who is also one of my dearest friends, took the time to measure each ingredient out to make it perfect so she can pass the recipe and tradition on to her children. Elsie says, the best recipes are the simplest recipes, and she was right! In our grandmother and great grand mother's era they didn't have the luxury of rich ingredients available to them at all times. These ingredients make a soft and elastic dough and I did not have one perogy open while boiling.  Follow the recipe exactly and you won't have any trouble. Thanks Lorrie for perfecting the ingredients amounts saving us all the trouble of figuring out what a soft dough means.
NOTE: This dough has no dairy in it, there for it has a bit more of a "chew" or "bite" to the texture when you eat the finished product. Using dairy like milk, cream or sour cream makes the dough more tender and has a softer bite to it. 

• 8 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4  cups hot water
• 3/4 cups oil

1. In a large mixer with a dough hook attachment add 8 cups of flour to the mixing bowl. Can easily be done by hand if you don't have a mixer large enough to make dough. 
2. Heat the water til it is almost too hot to touch or hot water from the tap. 
3. Add the oil and the hot water to the flour, knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer or ten minutes if you are doing it by hand. 
4. Let the dough rest for at least an hour or more on the counter. 
5. Divide into 4 balls to make the rolling of the dough easier to manage. Cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap to keep from getting a dry outer crust.
6.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough thin, cut in circles or 3 inch squares. 
7. Place the prepared perogies on parchment lined cookie sheets. Can be frozen at this stage if you desire. Once completely frozen place them into ziplocked bags. 
8. To cook, have ready a large pot of boiling water. Place perogies into the water without crowding too much and boil for a few minutes. Once they float to the top boil another 3-5 minutes. If you are cooking them frozen, cook about 8-10 minutes.
9. This amount makes about 15 dozen 3 1/4 in circles. 

For 1 recipe of dough, I used 2- 650 gm containers of dry cottage cheese (3 cups), mixed with 2 eggs, salt and pepper (optional) as desired. 

Tip - I use a round cutter to make cottage cheese, cut 3" squares for the potato and cheddar cheese filling and shape them into a triangle, and shape the squares into rectangles or squares for the fruit filling, so there is no guessing as to what they are filled with. Plus cutting them in squares means no rolling and re rolling.
For filling ideas check out Kathy's suggestions here.

Try to pinch them a little fancy for that special someone, or if you have four options of a variety of perogies.