Jewish Apple Cake - Testing

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7969/jewish-apple-cake-i/

https://www.askchefdennis.com/jewish-apple-cake/

1 - It was so beautiful! Until I removed it from its mold and realized the middle wasn't cooked at all! I should use a long wooden skewer to check next time. It was good, but I tried substituting the orange juice and zest with lemon and lime and it was a very harsh flavour and not pleasant to my palate.

2 - Success! I used mandarin oranges and I baked the cake for 90 minutes, then turned off the oven and left it for another 15. I really don't know why it didn't bake last time. Anyway, it was perfectly done, and the milder mandarin flavor was much better. Next time, I'll use half the sugar because it seemed too sweet to me, leaving that slightly sour aftertaste of too much sweet. The mystery currently is why the apples seemed to all float up to the top of the cake while baking...

3 5 apples - peeled, cored and sliced (70-100 gr per apple or 350 - 500 gr of apple))

Cinnamon sugar (2 tsps ground cinnamon + 5 tsps white sugar)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

¼ cup orange juice

1 Tbsp orange zest

2 tsps vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan. 
2. Combine the ground cinnamon and the 5 tsps of sugar together and set aside.
3. Prepare the apples, then toss together with the cinnamon sugar and set aside while make the batter.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beaten eggs, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Pour a quarter of the batter in a thin layer at the bottom of the pan, then a third of the apples. Pour another layer of batter, don't worry if the apples in the lower layer show through, and NOTE that the batter is quite thick, don't worry about making it look neat. Repeat the operation a third time and top with the remaining batter.
6. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the sliced apples and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the top and layer the remaining sliced apples and cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake at 350F for 70 to 90 minutes. Check with a long wooden skewer than the middle is cooked.
8. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes - if the cake is too hot it may break apart. If it's too cold it may stick to the pan.

Savory Bread Pudding - Testing

https://foodwastefeast.com/recipes/2018/4/15/savory-bread-pudding-with-greens-and-roast-veggies

The Rough Recipe

Serves 6-8, with sides, and takes about an hour and twenty minutes (only 20 of that is active time though).

You'll need the following:

About 8 cups bread, cut into chunks (the version pictured uses both a slightly stale baguette and some frozen brioche rolls leftover from a dinner party)

Roughly 4 cups whole milk, or 2 cups milk and 2 cups cream, or a combination of milk and stock - enough to moisten all your bread

2 eggs

1 cup (or more, don't let me stop you) of whatever cheese you might have in the fridge, crumbled or shredded

Butter or olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

About 4 cups of diced vegetables, ideally an allium such as an onion or scallions and a few cloves of garlic, and then any combination of leafy greens, roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, or whatever you like. Keep already cooked items separated from those that need some time to saute. 

Kosher salt and black pepper, if desired

leftover frozen bread, stale bread, leafy green, kale, onions and blue cheese

If you want to add meat, I usually use something with a lot of flavor and some fat, like bacon or sausage. I dice the meat and cook it in the pan first, then remove the meat and saute my vegetables in the bacon or sausage fat. 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Whisk the milk and eggs together in a large bowl, then add the bread chunks. Mix in the cheese, and make sure all the bread is submerged so it can soak up the milk.

Heat the butter or oil into a large skillet over medium heat (or cook your meat and remove it from the pan). Once the butter is melted, add your alliums like garlic and onions and anything that needs a while to saute, like kale stems, and cook until softened. This could take 5 minutes, or more like 10 if you have tougher veggies or stems. Once those are tender, add any leaves or already-cooked vegetables and stir to combine and cook another 3 minutes, until wilted and warmed.

You can cook different kinds of veggies separately if you want, just make sure they are all cooked before you add them to the bread. I did the scallions, onions, and kale stems from the below picture together, then tossed in the chopped kale leaves. 

Remove the veggies from heat and let cool a few minutes before adding to the bread mixture. Add a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and stir to combine thoroughly.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour in the bread and vegetable mixture evenly. Bake until the top is puffed and golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot. Cool and refrigerate any leftovers – it’ll reheat well in the microwave.

golden brown delicious bread pudding

 

leafy greens, herbs, bread, eggs, milk, cream, broccoli stems, kale stems, chard stems, kale, chard, scallions, onions, cheese

ATTEMPT #1

550g diced bread (buns and baguette)

2 cups milk

2 cups vegetable broth

2 eggs

3 slices bacon cut into lardons

1 leek, sliced

5 crushed garlic

2 broccoli stems peeled and diced

8oz mushrooms, sliced

a few leaves of chard or beet leaves

4 oz cheddar

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Dice the bread.
2. In a very large bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in the milk and broth.
3. Weigh down the bread to keep it submerged under the milky mixture for the next hour or so.
4. Render the lardons until they are perfectly crispy. Remove the crispy lardons and set aside.
5. In the hot fat, cook the leek, garlic, broccoli, mushrooms and chard stems.
6. Once softened, add the leaves and cook until tender and bright green.
7. Preheat the oven to 350F.
8. Allow the vegetables to cool a few minutes.
9. Meanwhile, mix the cheese, salt and pepper with the soaked bread. 
10. Add the vegetables and toss well.
11. Butter a gratin dish and pile in the mixture.
12. Bake in the oven for 1hour 15 minutes or until golden and puffed up and the center has solidified.

Plum Basil Gin Fizz - Untested

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Plum-Basil-Gin-Fizz/

1 ripe plum, pitted, half diced and half sliced

5 large basil leaves

2 oz. gin

1 oz. simple syrup

Seltzer, to top drink

Lime wedge, for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the diced plum and basil leaves. Fill the shaker with ice; add the gin & simple syrup. Place on the shaker lid and shake for 1 minute. Pour into a glass filled the sliced plum. Fill glass to the top with seltzer and garnish with lime wedge.

Water cake - Testing

https://kirbiecravings.com/water-cake/

1 - I did not take notes, but I remember it being good. I needs a coulis I feel, or syrup or something moist. But I can't quite remember so I'm leaving it for now.

2 - It's a good white cake and surprising. I am curious about trying either potato flour or oat flour because I find the crumb a bit tough with only the all-purpose. I could try getting soft wheat flour for cake.

3 - I tested with half oat flour and the consensus was that it had a better texture. I will also try with the potato flour, next time. I also topped the cake with a Rhubarb Coulis which was a good match, but also discovered that plain yogurt is also good with it, but perhaps mixed with a bit of sugar.

4 - Made it with oat flour again and really, it's fine. It's more to have something for people on a vegan diet, but I don't think I'd make it just for myself. The oats I think increase the moistness, and I still wonder what it would be like with potato flour.

2 cups all purpose flour (try half potato flour, half oat flour)

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable, canola or olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon zest optional

OPTIONAL: top with Rhubarb Coulis or plain yogurt mixed with sweetener like sugar or syrup. Hmmm, I wonder about yogurt with a sprinkle of crystalized sugar on top, for the look as well.

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of an 8 inch round springform cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar. Whisk vigorously with a whisk until evenly combined.
3. Add water, oil, vanilla and lemon zest (is using). Whisk until batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
4. Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the surface of the cake is a light golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool before slicing and serving. You can dust cake with powdered sugar if desired.

NOTES

Recipe slightly adapted from Manu's Menu

You can make this in an 8 inch or a 9 inch cake pan. Do not use a pan smaller than 8 inches because the cake will be too thick. If you are using a 9 inch pan, your cake will be much thinner and will likely require less baking time.

The is a very simple basic cake recipe and won't have much flavor on its own. The lemon zest does help add flavor. You can also add cinnamon for a cinnamon version, espresso powder for a coffee version or orange zest instead of lemon zest.

Basic Polenta - Testing

https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/basic-herb-polenta

https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/basic-polenta/

4 cups water

1 tsp salt 

1 tbsp butter

1 1⁄2 cups cornmeal

1. Salt the water and bring to a rapid boil. 
2. Add cornmeal in a steady stream while rapidly stirring. 
3. Add the butter and continue to stir for 3 - 5 minutes or until polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pot as you stir.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and polenta is tender.

Lentil Something - Untested

1 - I have no idea with this is or where it comes from. I assume it's a soup. But maybe not since the last step suggests draining the extra water.

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2¼ cups French lentils

1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.

Step 3

Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later.

Lentil Basil Stew - Testing

https://www.thefullhelping.com/tess-masters-gentle-lentils/

1 - I really want to get rid of the silly BASIL IS THE BOMB SAUCE name. Don't care for it. But the recipe is pretty good. While I found the broth too thin, I also used yogurt instead of having creme fraiche to try with it. Until I have that missing ingredient, it will stay in the Testing phase.

2 - Where did all that liquid come from? I mean, in the first version I said I thought the sauce was thin but that's just ridiculous, it was like a soup! The basil sauce is really what makes it stand out, but I don't think it needs to be kept separate. I think it could just be mixed in at the end and then served with sour cream, creme fraiche or yogurt.

Basil sauce:

½ cup 120ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups 50g loosely packed basil leaves

¼ cup 20g finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)

1½ Tbsps fresh lemon juice

2 tsps minced garlic about 2 cloves

¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp salt plus more to taste

Optional 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

Lentil Stew

2 Tbsps.' grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (170g) onion, diced

1 cup (132g) celery, diced

1 cup (160g) carrot, diced

1 tsp salt, to taste

2 cups (370g) dry green lentils

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme plus more to taste

½ tsp ground black pepper

8 ? cups vegetable broth

Fresh lemon juice

1 cup (240ml) Basil-Is-the-Bomb Sauce with the red pepper flakes booster

Pea sprouts

Sour cream or Crème fraîche

1. To prepare the basil-is-the-bomb sauce, throw everything into your blender, including any boosters, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and emulsified. Tweak the salt and pepper flakes to taste. This is best served immediately, but will keep, sealed and chilled, for about 5 days. Makes 1 cup.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and ½ teaspoon of the salt for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften slightly. 
3. Stir in the lentils, thyme, pepper, and broth. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the mixture to a lively simmer (not a full boil), and cook for about 5 minutes. 
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add salt to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and add about ¼ teaspoon lemon juice to each serving. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce over the top of each bowl and serve with a dollop of sour cream, and some of the pea sprouts. Pass the remaining Basil-Is-the-Bomb sauce and more lemon juice at the table.