Spinach, Mushroom and Ham Quiche

When i visited Seatle last year, i took the opportunity to meet up with my dear friend, TT.  Although TT can be the son that i never had(how i wish), his knowledge in the culinary arena surpass mine by many folds.  Visit his blog Playing With My Food and you will understand what i mean.  When i met up with him for dim sum, he gave me this book -The Sweeter side of Amy's Bread"  and wished me well by writing this - To Lily - May you always be on the "Sweeter" side of life".  I was quite choked up with his wishes and when i feel down, i always kept  this in mind.  So, out with this book and made this Quiche.  This recipe is a keeper, thank you TT, if not for you, making this lovely recipe will not be possible.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pastry Crust:

2/3 cup/5.15 ozx/146 gm unsalted butter, cut into 3/4 inch dice
5/8 cup + 1 tbsp/4 ozs/112 gm cream cheese
4 tbsp/1.83 ozs/52 gm ice water
2 1/2 apple cider vinegar
1 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp/5.60 ozs/158 gm unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/3.0 ozs/86 gm whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt/1.2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

Freeze the diced butter and cream cheese for at least 30 minutes.  In a small cups or bowl, combined the iced water and the vinegar.

In a food proccesor fitted with the metal balde, combine the 2 flours, salt and baking powder and process them for 5 seconds until they are just combined. 

Add the frozen chunks of cream cheese and process again for 5 seconds or until the mixture looks like coarse meal.

Add the butter chunks and process again for 10 to 15 seconds until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of peas.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and sprinkle it with the ice water mixture. (If you don't have a food processor, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk and rub very cold, not frozen, cream cheese into the flour with your fingers until it looks like coarse meal..  Repeat the process with very cold, not forzen, butter chunks until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of peas.  If the butter starts to feel soft, freeze the mixture for 10 minutes before continuing.  Sprinkle the ice water mixture over the flour).  Using your hands, stir the mixture, pressing it together firmly until it forms. a cohesive ball of dough.  There should not be any pockets of dry crumbs remaining.  If necessary sprinkle in another 1 or 2 tsps of ice water.  Place the ball of dough on a large piece of plastic wrap, seal the wrap aaround the dough, and flatten the ball to make a round 3/4 inch thick disk.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.  This dough may be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

Ingredients for the Quiche 

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp olive oil
One 8 oz package fresh mushroom, halved, cunt into 1/8 inch slices
1 cup ham diced very small
One 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup onion - finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp garlic finely chopped

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese corarsely shredded

Custard Filling

1 1/2 cup/8.5 oz/240 gms half and half
5 large eggs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A pinch of ground cayenne pepper

Method:

Position one rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400f. 

Line the 12 x 17 inch sheet pan with baking parchment. 

Remove the bottoms from the mini tart pans or a 9 or 10 inch tart pan and place bottomless pans on the prepared sheet pan.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch.  Cut 6 circles of dough, each 6 1/8 inches in diameter.  Line each tart pan with a dough circle and blind bake the crusts(use coffee filters and topping with weights(i used beans)  for 20 minutes, or until they barely begin to brown.  Remove the weights and the paper and continue baking for 4 - 5 more minutes, until lightly browned and the bottoms are just starting to look a little dry.  Don't be concerned if the crust bottoms puff up slightly after the weights are removed, they should deflate again when they come out of the oven.

In a medium skillet or saute pan, heat 1/2 tsp of the olive oil and cook the mushrooms over medium heat with salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally until their water has been released and they start to brown 6 - 7 minutes.  Transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in the pan and add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, 2 - 3 minutes. 

Add the spinach and ham to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and cook briefly until the spinach and ham are cooked through,  Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms and mix it all together with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly distributed.  Let  cool slightly before mixing in the cheese.

To make the custard filling

In a large measuring cup or a 3 to 4 cup container with a pour spout, whisk together the half and helf , eggs, salt and cayenne pepper until well combined.

Five to 10 minutes after the crusts come out of the oven, with the tart pans still on the baking sheet, spread 1/3 cup of the spinach, mushroom, ham and cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of each tart shell.  If using a 9 - 10 inch tart pan - use all the mixture. 

Stir the custard and pour it over the spinach, filling each pan to within 1/8 inch of the top edge of the pastry.  Don't overfill the shells, or the custard will run out during baking.  It's not a total disaster if this happens.  The quiche will still be edible but there will be less filling in the shell.

Return the pan to the oven abnd bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the eges of the filling begin to puff up and the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan.  (The 9 - 10 inch tart pan might need a longer time to get custard to set).

Place the sheet pan on a wire rack to cool.  When cooled enough to handle, remove the quice from the pans.  Pans with filling that has run over may have to cool longer before the quiche can be extracted from the pans.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Leftovers may be regrigerated or frozen and reheated in a 400f oven for 20 minutes, or until heated all the way through.

Serves

Apple Strudel

So often this has found its way into my kitchen as this was amazingly easy, delicious and so hearty.

It will be great for entertaining and it was not at all time consuming with store-bought/ready made filo pastry, i can't say for making filo from scratch. It was super flaky and the apple filling  gave it an appetizing crunch!

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 big eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
½ cup orange juice
 zest from 1/2 orange
1/4 cup brown sugar
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cornstarch plus 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter

Strudel:

6-8 sheets ready-made filo pastry
2 oz butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to  375F.

2.  Cook apples, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg with the pan covered until apples are soft and raisins are plump.

3.  Add in the cornstarch slurry and cook further for 1 minute, turn off heat and add in 1 tbsp butter. Set aside to cool.

4. .Brush each sheet of filo pastry with melted butter, then place the sheets of pastry on top of each other onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper.

5. Sprinkle the top sheet of filo with some dried breadcrumbs, then spoon the apple mixture down the middle of the filo sheet.


6. Carefully roll the pastry up around the filling like a cigar, using the greaseproof paper to help.

7. Place the filo roll onto a greased baking tray, brush with any remaining melted butter.  Cut roll into 1 1/2 slices at a diagonal. Do not cut the slices right through.

8.  Put to bake  for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned and the filling is hot.

 Serves

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

I love Dim Sum and would love to go 'Yum Cha' which is our term for having a meal in the Dim Sum Restaurant, in any cities i visit.  Egg Tarts are one of the favorites to order.  The Egg Tarts served in most Dim Sum Restaurants are made with flaky pastry and they are so well baked with perfection, the pastry so light and flaky, the custard is smooth and sweet..  I have tried baking them but found it very challenging.  Have not been happy with my results and am still trying.  And, until i make some good flaky pastry egg tarts,  these Hong Kong  Egg Tarts which has shortcrust pastry, were accepted with glee by Renee,  she ate these in Hong Kong and loved them.

Ingredients:

Crust:

8 ozs all-purpose flour
2 ozs powdered/confectioner's sugar
a pinch of salt
4 1/2 ozs chilled butter - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Custard Filling:
3 large eggs
4 ozs fine granulated sugar (take away 1 tbsp for lesser sweetness)
225 ml  hot water
3 fl ozs evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 drops of yellow yolk food coloring

 
 
 
 
 

Method:
 
To Make The Crust:
 
Put all-purpose flour, powdered sugar and salt into the food processor and pulse to mix.
 
Add in chilled cubed butter and pulse until fine breadcrumb like.
 
Add vanilla extract to beaten egg and then add into flour mixture with the machine running and stop machine as soon as the dough is formed.  Do not overmixed.
 
Remove and wrap dough with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
 
To Make the Filling:
 
Put sugar and water in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1 to 1/2 minutes and stir until sugar dissolves.
 
Add in evaporated milk, food coloring and vainlla, stir well.
 
Beat eggs lightly and add in to the above.
 
Pass through a very fine sieve, then fold a piece of kitchen towel into a strip and then run it over the top of the egg mixture to remove the bubbles.
 
Leave aside while you prepare the tarts.
 
To prepare the tarts:
 
Grease the tart moulds lightly.
 
Remove chilled dough, knead lightly and divide into small pieces(for my tart moulds, i use 3/4 oz).
 
Form dough into a tiny disk that will fit the base of the mould, then using the thumb, press dough so that it comes up the side of the mould.  Dough can be slightly higher than the mould but not too much - higher will allow more room for more filling but if too high, it will form a lip as this dough recipe is very soft.)
 
Repeat until all the tart moulds are formed.  Formed tart moulds can be kept in the fridge well wrapped until you need to bake them.
 
Preheat oven to 450 f and put the rack to the lowest rung of the oven.(Friends at sea-level can bake @ 400f)
 
Fill the formed tart moulds with egg filling to slightly lower than the rim, do not overfill.
 
Bake @ 450f for 10 mins and then lower the lower the heat to 400 f(sea-level @ 375 f) for another 15 minutes.  Baking time differs from the size of the tart moulds, so visual monitoring is important.  The crust has to be browned and the custard should not be overcooked.  The custard will puff slightly - yes slightly, then it is a sign for doneness,  you might have to remove some of the tarts which will cook faster than the rest as there are hot spots in most oven.  If  the custard puffs up and the crust is not brown enough, the oven door can be opened and left ajar for a while to lower the temperature in the oven, then it can be closed to finish the baking) 
 
Good luck and enjoy.
 
 
Serves

Curry Puffs

How can anyone be tired of eating curry puffs?  To me, this is comfort food  and I will never refuse one even though i am packed full and looked like the curry puffs that are offered to me. They are the most delicious morsels that i ever ate, with  spicy curry paste for extra oomph and packed with soft potatoes, chicken/beef.   They are  deep fried to a guilty perfection with a crusty and crunchy exterior and to achieve this, the dough has to be rolled very thinly.   

Ingredients:

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp margarine/shortening
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp water


Filling:

1/2 lb chicken meat - dced
1 small onion - chopped
1 tbsp Garam Assam Paste
2 tbsp curry powder for meat
2 large potatoes - peeled and diced.
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 tablespoons oil

Oil for deep frying

Method:

To make the filling:

Heat oil and fry the chopped onions until sweat through. Add the garam assam paste, curry powder and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken, potatoes, and 1 cup water, cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Add salt and sugar to taste and cook until filling is dry.. Leave aside to cool.

To make pastry:

Using the food processor, add in flour, baking powder and salt, pulse to mix, then add margarine/shortening and pulse until it looked like breadcrumbs.  Add water and pulse until the dough is combined into a ball.. Let it rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll dough out into a long rope and cut into small portions.  Roll each portion into a very thin circle and put the filling in the center(amount of filling depends on the size of the circle). Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp the edges.

Deep fry in hot oil until golden.

Serves

Peppered Pork Pastry

This videoPepper Cake, is very informative and i find this cake/pastry very interesting, although i could not fully understand the  language but i could guess.  I managed to bake a batch of very light pastry and loved it, no wonder these cakes are so popular on the streets of Taipei.  I don't know if i had guessed right the ingredients and had wished that i could know all the tips.  I could have missed some tips, cos my dough 1 did not rise to double in 20 or 30 minutes.  ok - it is winter here but not 4 hours later????.  Could it be that the salt had killed some of the yeast??  The next time if i should make this recipe again, i will add 1 tbsp of sugar to Dough 1 and i am sure the sugar present in the dough should aid the yeast to work better and will leaven the dough faster. 

Ingredients:

Dough 1:
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2  tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup or more water(to make a soft dough)

Dough 2:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup lard

Filling:

1 /2 lb ground shoulder pork
1/2 lb  ground belly pork
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp msg(optional)
1 tbsp black pepper
1/4 cup water


2 cups chopped green onions

White Sesame seeds for topping

1/2 cup simple syrup for glazing


Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the filling and stir well to combine.  Add water, a little at a time until pork is homogeneous.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator

To prepare Dough 1:

Dilute salt in the water.  Mix sugar, yeast and flour together and add in all the water to make into a dough.

Set aside and leave to rest while you prepare Dough 2. Let dough rise until double in size.

To prepare Dough 2:

Add lard to the flour and knead into a dough.

To prepare the pastry:

Divide Dough 2 into 10 portions(more if you want smaller pastry)

Divide Dough 1 into 10 portions.

Wrap Dough 2 with Dough 1, repeat with the other 9 portions.

Using a chinese rolling pin, roll 1 portion into a long ovel(Flatten dough by starting from the center and roll up once, back to center and roll down once)

Roll up the flattened dough like you would roll a carpet.

Repeat with the other 9 portions.

Now back to the first portion.  Ending flap facing up, press your index finger on the flap, with your thumb and third finger, pinch the two ends together, so that the dough now is slightly round.

Roll with rolling pin to a thin circle,  fill with marinated pork and a generous portion of green onions.

Pleat the pastry and seal well.

Dip the surface of  wrapped pastry onto the simple syrup and then dip onto the sesame seeds.

Repeat with the other 9 portions.

Cover wrapped pastries and let it rise for 20 - 30 minutes before baking in preheated 350 f oven for 20 minutes,  after the first 10 minutes, open the oven door, so that steam can be released and pastries will crisp better.

Serves

Croissants

There are so many masters showing how to make croissants and i am overwhelmed but after spending hours reading and watching youtube, i think i am ready to make some.  I am not very happy with the appearance of my croissants as i think they looked like Mr. Crab.  I ate the ones i opened up for pictures and i could not stop eating them - they were light, crispy on the outside and the inside is soft and buttery, unlike the ones you get from the store which are all air.  I am glad, i followed the advice of a croissant master whose advice is - "You don't actually need to proof croissants very long. The longer you proof them the more air they take in and the weaker they'll taste. Try not proofing them and you'll be amazed at how much better they will taste. proofing is great if you're selling them - makes the buyer think he's getting more - all they're actaully getting is more air which robs them of intensity. Cheers from the croissant master."

Armed with the book - About Professional Baking - The essentials by Gail Sokol, i made croissants.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm(110f)
3 1/2 tsp instant yeast
2 cups/10 ozs/285 g bread flour
2 cups/9 ozs/255 g all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups/12 ozs/340 g unsalted butter, cold but not hard(leave at room temp for 30 mins to soften slightly)


Method:

Croissant Base Dough

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment on low speed, blend the honey, brown sugar, and lukewarm milk until well combined.

Sprinkle the yeast over the milk mixture and blend on low speed.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together both flours.  On low speed, add the flours, the vinegar, and the salt to the milk and yeast mixture.  Blend until a soft dough forms.  If the dough feels too sticky, add another 1/2 to 1 oz(15 - 30 g) all purpose flour.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Do not overknead.  Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle about 1 - 2 inches(2.5 to 3 cm) thick.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for about 30 minutes.

Preparing the Butter to be enclosed : 

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and lay the butter in the center of it.  Place another piece of plastic wrap on top.

Hit the butter with a rolling pin until it softens.  Once it has softened a bit, roll the butter into a 6 - 12 inch(15 by 30 cm) rectangle.  Chill the butter while the dough is being rolled out.

Enclosing the butter:

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10 bu 15 inch(25 by 37.5 cm) rectangle.  Peel one sheet of plastic off the butter and flip the butter onto the middle of the dough, lining up the butter with the dough so that the butter covers approximately two thirds the length of the dough.

Fold the unbuttered third of the dough up over the center.  Then fold the remaining buttered third over the top, just like a letter is folded.  Be sure to pull the edges of the dough being folded over so they match the edges of the dough underneath.  Press to make sure the edges are sealed.  If the edges do not eal, brush a small amount of water on the bottom layer to act as glue.

Completing One Three-fold or Letterfold Turn:

Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that when the dough is rolled out, the open ends become the short sides of the rectangle.  Again, roll out the dough to a 10 by 15 inch(25 by 37.5 cm) rectangle and fold it in thirds like a letter.  This completes one three-fold turn.  Using a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour.  Press one finger into the dough to show one turn has been completed.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 1 hour.  A marker can also be used to mark the plastic wrap to show the number of turns completed.

Repeat rolling, folding, and marking the dough with a finger to show the number of turns completed two more times for a total of 3 three-fold turns, chilling the dough in between each completed turn.  After three turns have been completed, wrap the dough twice in plastic wrap and chill it overnight in the refrigerator.  Because the yeast in the dough will cause it to expand overnight, be sure to wrap the dough securely.

The above makes one recipe of croissant dough, using one half in this recipe and reserving the other half for another use.

Rolling and cutting croissants:

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into 12 by 16 inch(30 by 40 cm) rectangle.  The dough should be approximately 1/8 inch(3 mm) thick.  Brush off any excess flour and sqaure off the edges using a ruller and a pizza cutter.

Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, remeasure the length of the dough and cut it in half crosswise.  Do not separate the two halves.  Cut down the length of the entire rectangle, dividing it into thirds beginning at one of the short sides.  There shoud be a total of six(6) rectangles.

Separate the six rectangles and cut each one diagonally to form two triangles.  There should be total of 12 triangles.  If at any point in rolling the dough and it becomes too soft, gently place it on a sheet pan and chill it for 10 - 15 minutes.

Using the pizza cutter, make a small 1/2 inch(1.2 cm) slit at the base of each triangle.  Taking one triangle, gently roll over it with a rolling pin so its length is stretched about 50% longer than its original length.  Do not press down hard with the rolling pin or the layers will be flattened.  Using both hands, gently pull the base so that it widens out even more and begin to roll the triangle from the base, pulling the tip of the triangle to elongate it.  Roll it into a tight crescent shape, making sure that the tip of the triangle is tucked underneath the crescent so it will not unroll during baking.  Place the croissant on a parchment-lined sheet pan, curving the ends to resemble a crescent as it is placed on the baking sheet.  Repeat slitting, rolling and shaping the remaining chilled dough to make a total of 12 croissants, maintaining a space between each one.  Place the croissants in a proof box set at no highter than 85f(39c) for 1 hour until they appear spongy and puffed (i do not have a proof box so i left the sheet pan, covered on the kitchen counter).

Preheat the oven to 425f(219c).

Spritz the croissants lightly with water using a spray bottle before placing them in the oven(oops i forgot to do this).  Once the croissants are in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400f(205c).  Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate the pan and continue baking the croissants for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.(i baked another 5 minutes only cos i was on convection).

Serves

Cornish Pasties

Making the shortcrust pastry for these pasties bring back fond memories. This is the first pastry that i learned to make when i was in school and i have always treasured the moments of these cookery classes, where we learned the technics of making goodies to eat and the beginning of a long culinary journey for me. My girlfriend, Nancy, who is visiting me at the moment, has been through thick and thin with me in the Convent, inspired me to make these as a remembrance of our friendship which started in 1952, the first day we attended Stantard One in The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, Seremban. We were classmates until we left school in 1962. Nancy is only one of the classmates who are all very dear to me. Christina, Alice, Florie, Lee Lan, Sang Meng, Nyong Nga,Cheng Mei, Maqgie, Joan and many more, if you all happen to read this, i missed you all.

My filling for these pasties is the leftover from the Corned Beef, Onion and Potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups lard, chilled (3/4 lb) cut into ¼ inch cubes

8-10 tablespoons ice water

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

FILLING:

Corned Beef, Onions and Potatoes

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make pastry

Using the food processor, pulse together flour and salt, then add in the fat to make a coarse meal. Add 8 tablesppons ice water all at once. If dough crumbles, add more water. Refrigerate to rest one hour before rolling out.

Roll dough to a circle ¼ inch thick and cut into 6 inch rounds. Re-roll and scraps and cut into additional circles.

Put ¼ cup of the mixture into the center of a rolled out pastry.

Moisten pasty edges, fold in half, and crimp to seal. Place on a lined baking sheet and brush lightly with egg wash.

Make 2 slits in each pasty to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees F 15 minutes, reduce heat and continue at 350 degrees F until golden.

Serve hot or cold.

Serves