Maureen's Cookie Jar & Beyond

Hefezopf/ Challah

2009-07-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hefezopf/ Challah

250 ml. Milk (1 cup)

2 ts dry yeast ( 20 gr. fresh yeast)

500 g. Flour (3 cup)

1 ts sugar

1 ts salt

1 egg

2 Tblsp butter room temperature (or oil)

1 ts lemon juice, lemon rind

1 ts. rum(aroma)

1 hand full raisins (optional)

Egg wash 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp milk

Knead the dough in mixer, Kitchen aid, Thermomix or bread machine.

Let it rest for 1 hour.

Punch down.

Divide in 2 rolls.

Lay rolls cross wise.

Lay each end of the lower roll around the upper roll left and right.

Now take the ends of the other roll and repeat steps. Tuck the ends under the bread.

For a tutorial watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPveL-9eHxs&feature=related

Let rest for 20 min.

Brush Egg mixtures on top.

Bake 40 minutes 350- 375 F.

Chocolate dough.

Mix 3 Tblsp Droste Cocoa powder in 1/2 of dough.

Suriname: VLEESBROODJES*/ Pastries

2009-05-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

VLEESBROODJES/PASTRIES

In Suriname, this snack is to be savored by young and old, especially when spiced up with Madame Jeannette, an aromatic pepper AKA Scotch Bonnet.

1. Filling Mix:

1 lbs ground sirloin

1 onion chopped

1 ½ ts salt

1 egg, mixed with

1 Madame Jeanette, finely minced to evenly distribute the aroma

1 tsp mustard

worchestershire sauce

celery leaves chopped

2. Pastry

1 stick very cold Butter (1/4 lbs)

1 1/2 cups flour (1/2 lbs)

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold water mixed with ice and

1 Tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)

Line a baking pan with plastic foil. Cut the butter lengthwise in four blocks , then evenly slice into pieces. In a bowl mix flour with salt. Add the butter, coat with flour. Evenly drop in the liquid while stirring the flour mixture with a fork until flour is incorporated with liquid and butter chunks still visible.

Evenly distribute the mixture on the lined baking pan, cover with plastic foil. Press with the palm of your hand to a rectangle. Deliberately dust the dough with flour to prevent sticking. Fold the dough 1/3 from the right on to the middle, and again from the left. Press the dough again to a rectangle or roll out evenly, and fold again.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Roll out the dough to a rectangle.

Divide in 4 pieces. Roll each piece into 16x4.

On a sheet of plastic foil put about 1/4 of the filling, cover and stretch to a sausage.

Place the filling on the dough and make a roll.

Shock freeze until all rolls are made (30 min).

4. Make Eggwash with

1 egg yolk

1 tblsp milk

little salt.

Brush on the rolls. Make indents diagonally and cut each roll into 6 pieces of about 2 1/2 inches.

5. Line vleesbroodjes on a baking sheet with parchment paper and

6. Bake 425 Degr. F. 25 minutes or until brown.

Vegans: use apple cut in chunks and mix with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Put the filling in the middle of one sheet bring the ends on top of the apples overlapping.

Filling for Vleespasteitjes/ Pastries
In a pan, heat a little oil and fry the onions until glazed. Add the meat, mixing the onion and add other ingredients (omit the egg)
Make a rouge with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water and add to the meat mixture. When it comes to a boil, let the filling cool off (preferably in the fridge).
If you want to make circles, take a big glass or cut out circles with pastry knife.
After the egg wash decorate a flower with a knife to let the steam out while baking

* Suriname is a melting pot of different cultures with Amerindians as original habitants. Through the centuries other cultures such as African, Indian, Creole, Indonesian, Chinese, Lebanese and Jewish all blended in and Surinamese food was created.

What's for Lunch? Stir Fry!

2009-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

What 's for Lunch? Stir Fry!

Running out of time and ideas for Lunch/

Dinner?

Asparagus

Brocoli florets

Olive oil

Clove of garlic

Coconut powder

Sea salt.

Preparing lunch in an instant starts with the right mind set. It is an easy job composing any stir fry vegetables and left overs.

Keep a variety of colorful vegetables, and compose a fast and tasty meal.

For today's lunch I sliced some asparagus and brocoli florets, stir fried in olive oil and a clove of garlic, added some coconut powder and sea salt. You can use any vegetables or combine with any root, radishes, carrots, chayote, jicama, German turnip (Kohlrabi). Add mushrooms and offer a variety of tastes such as chicken broth, beef broth, and thicken with 1 teaspoon patato starch, 1 teaspoon of ginger juice (just slam a piece of ginger) with rice wine, sherry or any low refined alcohol. Add a splash of superior light soy sauce (Celiacs omit or use a wheat free soy sauce from Whole Foods). Garnish with any (yellow) pepper -hot if you like- thinly sliced, scallions, cilantro.

Working fast anticipates working tools as a sharp knife, a sautee pan 12.5 inches diameter, the bigger the merrier. Prepare the vegetables, the ones that need sauteing go in first.

If you did not have a fruit snack for the day, add your vitamins to balance the palate.

Granola Power Start of the Day!

2009-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Finally I set up my blog to share my recipes and to catch up with all requests.

This Site will give balanced recipes, tasty and healthy and easily adjusting your lifestyle.

Granola

Basic granola recipe

6 cups rolled (Old Fashioned Quaker) Oats

pinch of salt

Stir: 1/4 cup Canola oil with

3/4 cup Maple Syrup (or substitute)

Preheat oven

In a large bowl combine oats with liquid.

Spread mixture evenly in a roasting pan.

Bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees.

Check the color, turn off oven and let it sit for 5 minutes if necessary.

To the oats you can add:

Bran (rice), Sesame seeds (toasted), cinnamon, dried cranberries, raisins, nuts.