Pastiera Napoletana - savory cheesecake - Untested

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pastiera-napoletana

0 - My main question is if I can make this with yogurt cheese? It's a traditional Easter dish, so may be quite complicated, therefore question #2 is if I can make simpler for an everyday kind of dish?

Serves 8–10

For the pastry

500 g (1 lb 2 oz or 4 cups) 00 or plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

200 g (7 oz or 1⅔ cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar

Pinch of salt

Zest of 1 orange

250 g (9 oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

5 egg yolks, plus 1 egg (beaten) for the egg wash to finish

For the farro or wheat berries

100 g (3½ oz) soaked farro or wheat grains (berries)

350 ml (12 fl oz or 1½ cups) milk

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 lemon

Pinch salt

For the rest of the filling

350 g (12 oz) ricotta

4 egg yolks

Zest of 2 oranges

100 g (3½ oz) finely chopped candied orange or cedro (citron)

250 g (9 oz or 1¼ cups) sugar

1 Tbsp. orange blossom water

½ tsp. vanilla extract or the seeds from ½ vanilla pod (bean)

Pinch salt

3 egg whites

1. 3 days before baking
2. Soak 100 g (3½ oz) farro or wheat grains (berries) in plenty of cold water, changing the water daily, for three days.
3. For the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar, salt, orange zest and butter in a food processor and blitz to a fine breadcrumb consistency. Add the egg yolks to the mixer and blend again briefly, until the mixture comes together as a dough (add a tablespoon or two of iced water if the dough is still dry and does not come together). Form the dough into two equal rounds with your hands. Wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge or freezer, depending on when you want to use it. It needs to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before you roll it.
4. Grease a deep 23 cm (9 in) cake tin/crostata tin with butter, then dust it lightly with flour. After the dough has rested, roll it out to a rough 2 mm (1/16 in) thickness and line the cake tin, pushing the dough up the sides of the tin to create a 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) depth and trimming any overhang. Don’t worry too much about perfectly thin, even pastry. Reserve the pastry trimmings for the lattice top. Chill the pastry case in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
6. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and blind-bake until just golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool while you prepare the filling. 
7. For the farro or wheat berries, on the third day of soaking, drain the soaked grain. Cook in a saucepan with the milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt over a very low heat, covered with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally for 30–40 minutes until the grain is plump and tender and all the milk had been absorbed. Spread the grain out on a plate to cool completely.
8. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
9. For the rest of the filling, whisk or beat the ricotta in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the orange zest, candied fruit, sugar, orange blossom water, vanilla and salt. Into this mixture, stir the cooled cooked wheat. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then fold them gently into the ricotta mixture.
10. Pour the whole lot into the prepared pastry case. Cut the leftover pastry dough into strips about 2 cm (¾ in) wide, and arrange them over the top in a diagonal lattice. Use your fingers to press the edges of each strip into the pastry case walls to seal them.
11. Brush the top of the tart with the beaten egg and bake for 90 minutes, or until biscuit brown all over.
12. Let the tart cool and the filling settle, for at least 12 hours in a cool place before slicing into it. Serve, finally, with coffee and congratulations.

Radish Raita - Test 2

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/radish-raita

https://www.whiskaffair.com/mooli-raita-radish-raita/#recipe

https://www.archanaskitchen.com/mooli-raita-spiced-yogurt-salad-with-radish

1 - For this first try, I did not have lime to zest so it's the only the actual yogurt mix that I'm testing.

2 - I again didn't make the topping, but the raita was very good. Older, spongy radishes are just as good.

1½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt

1 cup (4.5oz/125g) red radishes, grated or thinly sliced

pinch cayenne powder

½ tsp cumin powder 

1 fresh chilli, finely chopped

2 Tbsps packed cilantro or dill leaves, chopped

½ tsp salt, to taste

OPTIONAL TOPPING

2 Tbsps vegetable oil

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

2 to 3 whole dry red chilies

1 tsp lime rind

1. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth. 
2. Add the radishes, cayenne, cumin, chilli and herb and salt and whisk well. 
3. Check the salt and spices and adjust to suit your taste. 
4. Serve chilled.

FOR THE TOPPING

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, and curry leaves, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
3. Pour the tempering over the raita. 
4. Serve chilled.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Untested

from Amadea Morningstar's "The Ayurvedic Cookbook" pg 242

1⁄2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1⁄8 tsp dry ginger

1⁄8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour

1⁄2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1⁄2 cups rolled oats

1⁄2 cup raisins

1⁄4 cup walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Cream the butter until fluffy then add sugar and beat until creamy.
3. Mix in the beaten egg and vanilla.
4. Combine the spices, flour, salt, baking powder, rolled oats and combine with the wet mixture.
5. Mix in the raisins and walnuts.
6. Bake for (10? 15? minutes until golden around the edges.

Butterscotch Bars - Testing

Adapted from from Amadea Morningstar's "The Ayurvedic Cookbook", pg 239

1 - I'm trying this as closely to the original recipe as possible, given I've already changed things. But I wonder two things: 

• if I melt the butter directly in the baking pan as the oven is heating up to grease the pan, then pour out the rest to mix in the with the sugar, would that work?
• Would it be better to boil the sugar and butter together for 7 minutes like I do for the pecan squares at work? This would make it not viable to melt the butter in the oven since I'd have to cook the sugar and butter mixture on the stovetop. 
• Made it and thought it was fine. There's something missing. Ronnie wanted vanilla ice cream and Ben wanted creme anglaise. In talking it through I think maybe a thin layer of some sort of icing might do the trick, and/or a cookie base. To my taste they're just a bit flat.

2 - Trying to adapt a pecan bar caramel to this. So far, the recommended time to boil the syrup is too long and the sugar starts to burn. I was going for 7 minutes but 5 is more likely. The trick is paying attention to the smell! A rich, brown sugar aroma is good, but it turns acrid and that is too much.

Crust

1¾ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup cold butter

1 egg yolk

1. Throw everything in a food processor and blend until a dough is formed.
2. Line the baking dish with parchment paper and press the dough onto the bottom with your fingers.
3. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

1/2 Cups Butter

1/3 cup golden treacle

2/3 Cups Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cream

1⁄3 cup (5oz/76gr) + 1Tbsp (1⁄2 oz/14gr) butter

1 cup (7oz/200gr) brown sugar

1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour (try barley flour, decrease butter by 1 Tbsp)

1 tsp baking powder

1⁄4 tsp salt

1⁄2 cup (67gr) walnut pieces (or roasted hazelnuts?)

1⁄4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the butter and take off the heat. Stir in the brown sugar.
3. NOTE I tried cooking the sugar and butter together for about 5 minutes, instead of the above instructions. It made the rest more difficult - since it was boiling hot I couldn't add the egg so I let it sit, then it became super thick and didn't loosen until I added first the egg and then, surprisingly, it totally loosened when I added the baking powder! Huh. Curious to see how it turns out.
4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts (and sunflower seeds if using).
5. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is uniform in consistency.
6. Grease the exposed sides of your 8x8" baking pan (if doubling the recipe, use 2 pans for best results; don't use a larger pan).
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

Lentil Wheat Berry Kale Soup - Test 1

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lentil-soup-with-wheat-berries-and-kale

1 - Already screwed up this first try. Forgot to cook the garlic and just added it after I'd put in the water.

2 - This is a pretty good soup! I didn't have parmesan rind (what?!?) and it was still good. I reduced the amount of broth because I tend to like my soups heartier, but it could easily be brothier, so I'm going to make it a range. NOTE that I was cooking the wheat berries in 2 cups of the broth while doing the rest. This may generally be a good habit to save on time - I could skip 20 mins!

3 - This was good, again, and the broth was somehow thicker. The only things I can think of that was different was 1) the wheat berries were already cooked, perhaps they released more of their starches AND/OR 2) I used chard leaves exclusively, although I never thought of chard as a means to thicken things. But I think I can safely graduate this recipe to Test 1.

4 - I tried it with a specialty red hulled rice and chard instead of kale, and it was delicious. I think I'd like the instructions to change to indicate your grain of choice, and your greens of choice. I will try it with cabbage (is cabbage considered a leafy green?).

6 servings

Prep time: 2hrs

3/4 cup wheat berries, spelt, barley, or short grain brown rice (do not use pearled grains)

½ cup olive oil

1 large (10oz/285g) onion, coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots (6oz/170g) , coarsely chopped

1 + 1 ½ tsp salt, to taste

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. coriander seeds, coarsely crushed

1 tsp. ground turmeric

2 dried bay leaves

10 + 2 + 6 to 8 cups water Veg broth

¾ cup French lentils

(800gr leaves only) 2 bunches (2lbs) kale or chard, stems and ribs removed, leaves torn into 2" pieces

Finely grated Parmesan and toasted crusty bread (for serving)

OPTIONAL: serve with lemon juice or lime

1. Soak the kernels of grain overnight in 2 cups of water. Using the soaking water, cook for at least 1 hour or until the kernels start to open up.
2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium, then add the carrots and the onion.
3. Season with 1 tsp. salt and all the pepper. 
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to sweat, about 3 minutes. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are completely tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Add the wheat berries, coriander, turmeric, and bay leaves and stir to combine. 
7. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to simmer. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. 
8. Add lentils and kale and stir well to combine. Kale should be submerged; add another cup of water if needed. 
9. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils and grains are tender, 40 to 45 minutes more. Pluck out bay leaves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
10. Serve with Parmesan for sprinkling over and bread for dunking.

Chocolate Gelato - Untested

https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-chili-gelato

https://www.recipesfromitaly.com/chocolate-gelato-recipe/

https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/chocolate-gelato-recipe/

4 egg yolks

50 g + 100 g (3/4 cup) of granulated sugar

250 ml (1 cup) of whole milk

250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream

50 g (1/2 cup) of bitter cocoa powder

100 g (3,5 oz=2/3 cup) of 70% dark chocolate

OPTIONAL: 1 1⁄4 tsp chilli powder

a pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the KitchenAid Ice Cream bowl in the freezer for 24-hours.
2. Attach the whisk attachment to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Add the yolks and 50g of sugar into the mixing bowl, then turn to speed 4 and whisk for one minute - or until light and fluffy. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, add the milk, cream, and remaining 100g granulated sugar. Whisk to fully incorporate. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins steaming.
4. Carefully remove 100ml of the hot liquid and slowly pour it into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Then, pour the tempered yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly while adding.
5. Increase the heat to medium-low. Use a pastry spatula to stir constantly, being sure to scrape the bottom to prevent scorching. Cook until mixture is thickened and coats spatula. DO NOT BOIL.
6. Remove from the heat and add in cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, spices, and salt; whisk until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Immediately strain the custard into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
7. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the custard and chill for at least two hours.
8. When ready to churn ice cream, remove the Ice Cream Bowl from the freezer. Lock the bowl into place on the stand mixer, insert the dasher into the bowl, and pour in the chocolate custard base into the bowl. Lock the mixer head in place, turn speed to Stir, and set the timer for twenty minutes.
9. When ice cream is done churning, spoon it into an airtight freezing container and freeze for six to eight hours before serving.

TIP

1. If using, you can use whichever ground chilis you prefer. This particular blend goes well with the dark chocolate. If you don’t like a lot of spice, you can cut the amount in half. You could also substitute milk chocolate or semisweet instead of bittersweet.