Manchego Cheese Sticks

From Bobby Flay.

Because I bought manchego cheese on sale from Costco and don’t know what to do with it.

CHEESE STICKS:

Three bowls:

Bowl 1: 1/4 c flour, salt, pepper

Bowl 2: 1 egg, 1 tbsp water, salt, pepper OR yogurt, salt, pepper

Bowl 3: 1/4 c bread crumbs, 2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Cut manchego cheese into lego sized one inch pieces.
3. Dredge in bowl 1, then bowl 2, then bowl 3.
4. Place cheese stick on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bale 5-7 min until cheese is soft and light brown.
5. Serve with garlic dipping sauce.

GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar OR rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saucepan on stove on medium heat.
2. Add oil.
3. Add garlic, let brown.
4. Remove from heat, add vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Cannoli (Sicilian Style)

Ingredients
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Dough:

2 1/2 pounds all-purpose flour
2 1/2 whole eggs
2 ounces sugar
2 ounces vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)
Pinch salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
Marsala wine, as needed
Soybean oil, for deep-frying

Ricotta Cream:

60 ounces ricotta impastata
20 ounces sugar
Liquid cream, as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 drops cinnamon oil
1 ounce diced candied citron
1 ounce chocolate chips (4000 count)

Directions

For the dough:

Mix together all the ingredients except the marsala. Add the marsala, as needed, to form a stiff dough. Run the dough through a dough sheeter. Cut the dough into ovals, roughly 3 by 5 inches. Wrap the dough around a wooden stick. Seal well with egg sealer. Let rest overnight.

Preheat the deep fryer filled with soybean oil to 375 degrees F.

Fry the shells until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, and cool down on paper towel-lined sheet pan. Once cool, remove the metal or wooden sticks and store in an airtight container until ready for use.

For the ricotta cream:

Mix the ricotta cheese with the sugar. Add the cream as needed. Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon oil, citron, and chocolate chips. Refrigerate until needed.

Fill each cannoli with the ricotta cream with a pastry bag or spoon.

Recipe copyright Biagio Settepani

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cannolo-siciliano-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Vegetarian Pad Thai

Ingredients
Recipe courtesy Nongkran Daks

Pad Thai:

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon (shredded) preserved radish
1/4 pound medium-size dried rice noodles (soaked 60 minutes in cold water and drained)
Water
5 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce, recipe follows
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground hot chiles, or more to taste
2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sliced garlic chives or green onion
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, plus more for garnish
1 wedge lime

Pat Thai Sauce:

1 cup tamarind juice
1 cup palm sugar plus 3 tablespoons
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetarian fish sauce
2 teaspoons salt

Vegetarian Fish Sauce:

¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. raw turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce or tamari

DIRECTIONS:

Pad Thai:

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the meat and shrimp and keep stirring until the shrimp changes color. Remove the shrimp to prevent overcooking and set aside.

Add the noodles. They will stick together so stir fast and try to separate them. Add a little water, stirring a few times. Then add the Pad Thai sauce, and keep stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed. The noodles should appear soft and moist. Return the cooked shrimp to the wok.

Push the contents of the wok up around the sides to make room to fry the eggs. If the pan is very dry, add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and spread the noodles over the eggs to cover. When the eggs are cooked, stir the noodles until everything is well mixed-this should result in cooked bits of eggs, both whites and yolk, throughout the noodle mixture.

Add chiles, peanuts, garlic chives and bean sprouts. Mix well. Remove to a platter. Serve with raw bean spouts and a few drops of lime juice.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Pat Thai Sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan for about 60 minutes until it is well mixed and syrupy. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Cook’s Note: If you want to double this recipe, DO NOT double the ingredi ents, for the bulk will be too much to work with. Rather, make the dish twice. If you plan to make this for company, cook noodles ahead of time and add bean sprouts and garlic chives when you heat it up. If it is an informal gathering, it is fun to let your guests cook their own noodles.

You can buy premixed tamarind concentrate or make your own tamarind juice. Buy a package of compressed tamarind pulp at any Asian market, cut off 3 tablespoons of paste and soak in 1 1/2 cups of warm water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp and discard; the remaining liquid is tamarind juice. Store any leftover juice or noodle sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Vegetarian Fish Sauce:

Stir the water and sugar together in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple juice and light soy sauce and mix well.

Refrigerate in a glass container or jar with a lid for an hour or so. This can last up to 3-4 days.

Falafel

From Bobby Flay’s Throwdown

Ingredients

Falafel:

2 cups soaked chickpeas ( chickpeas need to be soaked in cold water for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours), add more water if necessary (or just use a big can of chickpeas, rinsed)
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 or 2 serrano chiles, chopped
2 green onions (white and green part) finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
Scant 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Piquillo Pepper Yogurt Sauce:

2 cups thick Greek yogurt
3 piquillo or 2 roasted red peppers
1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

White Bean Hummus:

3 cups white beans, cooked, or canned, drained and rinsed
6 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon harissa
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Relish:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the Falafel:

Drain the chickpeas through a colander then place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Chickpeas should be totally dry.

Heat 4-inches peanut or vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 330 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.

While the oil is heating, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and serrano chiles and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor, add the garlic mixture, green onions, parsley, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt and pepper and process until the mixture is finely ground, stopping to scrape the bowl every 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Form the mixture into balls the size of ping pong balls and place on a plate. Fry in batches at 330 degrees F until a pale blonde color, about 45 seconds, spooning oil over the falafel constantly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the baking sheet. Increase the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F. Return the falafel to the oil, in batches, cover the pan with a lid for 30 seconds and fry until a deep brown color, spooning the oil over the falafel constantly. Remove with a slotted spoon to baking sheet lined with paper towels, and immediately season with salt.

For the yogurt sauce:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, covered, to allow the flavors to meld.

Variation: Substitute 2 cups feta cheese for the yogurt, and add 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley.

For the hummus:

Place beans, garlic, harissa, lemon juice, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the relish:

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. The tomatoes should be lightly dressed.

Serve falafel with yogurt sauce, hummus and relish on the side.

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/falafel-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Grilled Pizza Dough

Bobby Flay’s Grilled Pizza Dough Recipe
(this links to a VIDEO of how to make the pizza dough)

NOTE: I previously tried Martha Stewart’s Grilled Pizza Dough Recipe. It is a DISASTER do NOT make it. EVER.

MAKES 2 14 inch pizza crusts

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef’s Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can’t find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast (2.5 tbsp)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

LET RISE 1 HOUR: Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour.

LET RISE 10 MINUTES: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

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FREEZING THE DOUGH FOR FUTURE USE:

Make a triple batch and freeze them in freezer bags.

Coat in olive oil before putting in freezer bag and make sure you get all of the air out.

Allow 12 hours in fridge to thaw before using.

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USE FOR LEFTOVER DOUGH:

If you happen to have any dough leftover, form into rolls, and bake at 350 F till golden brown. Dip in olive oil. Sooooo good!

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USING THE DOUGH TO MAKE PIZZA 1:

Use a pizza stone or cast iron pan and pre bake the crust for about 7 mins at 350 then crank the oven up to 425, add your toppings, and bake at 425 for about 10 mins or until golden and the toppings are bubbling!

Also: shape into breadsticks or pesto sticks.

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USING THE DOUGH TO MAKE PIZZA 2:

Wow, made this pizza crust for my family of five. Substituted regular all purpose flour for bread flour, used one teaspoon sea salt instead of kosher salt, but made as directed. I then coated my pizza pans with olive oil and corn meal, hand pressed the dough for the pizzas, topped with homemade marinara sauce, lots of cheese and various toppings, baked at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, best pizza ever! (also, as I am not a fan of marinara like my family, i brushed the top of the crust with olive oil and put an insanely thin layer of sauce, was just perfect for a non-sauce lover 🙂 )

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VARIATIONS:

Add spices to the crust, like garlic, parsley, italian herbs you may like, all to taste.