Boursin-Crusted Steaks with Red Wine Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 package Boursin garlic and herb cheese (5.2 ounces)

1/4 cup panko

4 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, shallot, and thyme.  Sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add broth and wine.  Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 12 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Blend cheese and panko in a small bowl.  (Both red wine sauce and Boursin cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Heat broiler.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare; undercook steaks a bit at this stage or they will be overdone after broiling.  Transfer steaks to rimmed baking sheet; reserve skillet.  Press cheese mixture onto top of steaks, dividing equally.  Broil until cheese browns, about 2-4 minutes.  Transfer steaks to plates.  Pour sauce into reserved skillet.  Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Boil 2 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce around steaks and serve.

Serves 4.

From Bon Appetit, November 2003, with some changes

Peach and Maple Syrup Jam

600 grams/ 1 pound 5 ounces (about 5) fresh peaches

250 grams/ 9 ounces (about 1 large or 2 small) apples

50 ml/ 2 fluid ounces/ 1/4 cup maple syrup

400 grams/ 14 ounces granulated sugar

1 small lemon, juice only

Bring a pan of water to the boil, and with a sharp knife score the peaches in a cross across the bottom. Drop the peaches into the boiling water for a minute, then remove and peel off the skin.  Chop all the flesh away from the peach pits and discard the skin (reserve the pits).

Peel the apples and grate them, discarding the core.  Place the grated apple in a pan with 300ml/½ pint/1 cup of water, bring to the boil, and then cook for 10 minutes or until the water has almost evaporated.  Add the peach flesh and reserved peach pits and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the peach pieces fall apart and the mixture is thick. Pick the pits out with a spoon and discard them.

Add the maple syrup, sugar and lemon juice, bring to a boil, then cook until the mixture reaches 105C/220F on a sugar thermometer.  Stir frequently to stop it sticking on the bottom.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, spoon into hot, clean jars, and seal immediately in a boiling water bath or pressure canner.

Makes about 600ml/20fl oz.

From BBC Food, recipe by Dan Lepard

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.

Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and toss them with the sweet potatoes. Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

From Mark Bittman, NY Times

Avocado, Cucumber, and White Bean Wrap

Soft Wrap Bread

White Bean Spread

Sliced avocados
Thinly sliced cucumbers
Other options: Arugula, thinly sliced sweet onion, tomato slices
Mayonnaise mixed with capers and harissa to taste

Spread bean spread on bread, add vegetables, drizzle with harissa and caper mayonnaise.

White Bean Spread

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, if desired (basil, thyme, parsley, etc)

Put olive oil in a small bowl.  Smash garlic cloves with the side of a knife and put in the oil.  Squish around with a spoon to release garlic flavor.  Allow to infuse for a few minutes, then remove the garlic pieces and discard (or use for another recipe).

Puree garlicky olive oil and all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.  Adjust seasoning as desired.  Use as a dip for vegetables or bread or as a sandwich spread.

Soft Wrap Bread

3 to 3 ¼ cups (361 to 390 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (283 grams) boiling water

1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup potato flakes (43 grams)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons (25 grams) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon instant yeast

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine.  Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir until smooth.  Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast.

Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes, by hand, mixer or bread machine, to form a soft dough.  A 5-minute knead in the bread machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky.  Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled.  Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll each piece into a 7" to 8" circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots.  Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out.

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft.

Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.  Freeze for up to a month.

Makes 8 flatbreads.

From King Arthur Flour  

Sweetcorn Chaat

4 ears of corn (or 680 grams of corn)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
25 grams unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (plus extra to serve)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 onion, finely diced
20 grams fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped
Handful of sev (chickpea noodles)

If using fresh corn, remove husks and silk.  Boil for 8 minutes, or cook in pressure cooker just until it hisses/whistles.  Drain, then rinse under cold water.  Slice off the kernels.

Set a large frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, put the cumin into it.  Stir-fry for a minute, until aromatic, then add the butter and let it melt.  Turn the heat up and, when the pan starts to smoke, add the corn.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes - don't stir too frequently, so it has a chance to blacken and caramelize a bit, but be careful as the odd kernel may pop.  When the corn has a good amount of color, add the black pepper, chili powder, salt, and lemon juice and let it sizzle off.

Divide the corn between four plates and scatter over the red onion, cilantro, jalepenos, and sev. Sprinkle a little chili powder over the top.

Serves 4.

From Fresh India by Meera Sodha, with very minor changes

Blueberry Peach Muffins

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (270 grams) or white whole wheat flour (255 grams), or a combination of the two

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup (212 grams) dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

1/3 cup (74 grams) vegetable oil

2/3 cup (141 grams) milk

3/4 cup (127) small whole blueberries or other fruit, diced

1/2 cup (85 grams) diced peaches (not peeled)

Granulated sugar, for topping

Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease (or line with papers) a standard muffin pan.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir in the egg, vegetable oil and milk, then gently fold in the fruit.

Heap batter into muffin cups; they'll be very full. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins test done.

The muffins may be stored well-wrapped at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for a month.

Makes 12 muffins.

From King Arthur Flour (quantity halved)

Fresh Peach and Brown Sugar Pizza Pie

1 recipe Yeasted Butter Pastry Dough
Cornmeal

4 cups peeled, pitted, thickly sliced ripe peaches
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Oil a large baking sheet and dust it with cornmeal.

After an hour of rising, punch the dough down gently once or twice, not vigorously.  Place the dough on a floured work surface and dust it lightly with flour.  Gently roll the pastry into a 13- or 14-inch circle, keeping it of even thickness as best you can.  Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet, pinching the edge of the dough into an upstanding ridge. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Heat the oven to 425 F.  

Combine the sliced peaches and granulated sugar in a medium-size bowl and toss gently.  Set aside for 10 minutes to juice.  Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture over it.  Lift the peaches out of their juice and arrange them in a single, random layer on the pastry.  Wash and dry your hands, then add the butter to the remaining brown sugar mixture and rub it in until you have coarse, buttery crumbs.  Spread the crumbs evenly over the peaches.

Put the baking sheet on the center over rack and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and rotate baking sheet 180 degrees.  Continue to bake until the crust is golden brown and juices bubble thickly on top, 10 to 12 minutes.  

Slide the pizza onto a wire rack.  Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.  Slice and serve within a few hours.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From Pie by Ken Haedrich

Yeasted Butter Pastry Dough

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk

Measure the water in a 1-cup glass measure.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water, mixing briefly with a fork.  Set aside for 5 minutes to dissolve.

Meanwhile, place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to mix.  Scatter the butter over the dry mixture and pulse 7 or 8 times, until the butter is broken into very small pieces.

Add the egg yolk to the yeast mixture and blend with a fork.  Add the liquid to the food processor and pulse repeatedly, until the dough coheres, then run the machine non-stop for 8 to 10 seconds to knead the dough.

Place the dough in an oiled medium-size bowl, rotating the dough to coat the entire surface.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warmish spot for 1 hour.  If for some reason you need to delay the rising, simply put the dough in the refrigerator.

(To make a dessert fruit pizza pie: After an hour of rising, punch the dough down gently once or twice, not vigorously.  Place the dough on a floured work surface and dust it lightly with flour.  Gently roll the pastry into a 13- or 14-inch circle, keeping it of even thickness as best you can.  Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet, pinching the edge of the dough into an upstanding ridge.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Heat the oven to 425 F.  Top with fruit as desired.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and rotate baking sheet 180 degrees.  Continue to bake until the crust is golden brown and juices bubble thickly on top, 10 to 12 minutes.  Slide the pizza onto a wire rack.  Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.  Slice and serve within a few hours.)

Makes enough pastry for 1 large pie.

From Pie by Ken Haedrich

Hill Station Salad

3 mixed peppers (red, yellow, and orange)
1 cucumber
1 medium sweet onion
10 grams cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kallonji)
20 grams fresh mint leaves
1 jalapeno
100 ml (1/2 cup) greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Chop the peppers into 1/2-inch or smaller dice, and place into a serving bowl.  Halve the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon, chop the cucumber into 1/2-inch dice, then add to the bowl.  Finely chop or mince the onion and add it to the bowl.  Finely chop the cilantro, and add it to the bowl along with the salt and nigella seeds.   

To make the dressing, puree mint, jalapeno, yogurt, lemon juice and sugar.  Adjust flavors if necessary to achieve a good balance between heat, sweetness, saltiness, and sourness.  

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and mix well.  Sprinkle with some additional nigella seeds, if desired, before serving. 

Serves 6 as a side dish.

From Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Soft Cinnamon Rolls

Tangzhong (starter)

5 tablespoons (71 grams) water

5 tablespoons (71 grams) whole milk

3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (28 grams) unbleached bread flour

Dough

4 cups + 2 tablespoons (496 grams) unbleached bread flour

1/3 cup (21 grams) nonfat dry milk

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

3/4 cup (170 grams) lukewarm whole milk

2 large eggs

3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3/4 cup (142 grams) brown sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing

2 cups (227 grams) confectioners' sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons (28 grams) melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons (28 grams to 43 grams) whole milk or cream, enough to make a thick but spreadable frosting

To make the tangzhong:

Combine all of the starter ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.  Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan.  This will probably take only a minute or so.  Remove from the heat, and set it aside for several minutes.

To make the dough:

Mix the tangzhong with the remaining dough ingredients until everything comes together.  Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes; this will give the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, making it easier to knead.

After 20 minutes, knead the dough — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, elastic, somewhat sticky dough.  Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in a lightly greased covered bowl for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.

To make the filling, and the rolls:

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until the cinnamon is thoroughly distributed.  Gently deflate the risen dough, divide it in half, and shape each piece into a rough rectangle.  Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into an 18" x 8" rectangle.  Sprinkle half the filling over the rolled-out dough.  Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a log. With the seam underneath, cut the log into 12 slices, 1 1/2" each.  Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling.  Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.  Space the rolls in the pan.  Cover the pan and let the rolls rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until they're crowding one another and are quite puffy.  While the rolls are rising, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the bottom third.

Uncover the rolls and bake them for 22 to 25 minutes, until they feel set.  They might be just barely browned; that's okay.   It's better to under-bake these rolls than bake them too long.  Their interior temperature at the center should be about 188°F. 

While the rolls are baking, stir together the icing ingredients, adding enough of the milk to make a thick spreadable icing.  The icing should be quite stiff, about the consistency of softened cream cheese.  Remove the rolls from the oven, and turn them out of the pan onto a rack.  Spread them with the icing; it'll partially melt into the rolls.  Serve the rolls warm.  (Store completely cool rolls for a couple of days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 1 month.  For just-baked freshness, reheat rolls by tenting with aluminum foil, and heating in a 350°F oven until toasty warm.)

Makes 24 rolls.

From King Arthur Flour

Jam-Swirled Bread

2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup jam
Flour for dusting

Mix yeast and warm water in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour and salt.  Add the water and yeast mixture to the flour and mix until the dough comes together.  Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for two hours in a warm place. (Punch the dough down after one hour and let it rise again.)  

Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan well.  

On a floured surface, shape the dough into a ball by tucking the corners in like an envelope.  Roll dough out into a 12x18 inch rectangle.  Spread the jam evenly across the dough rectangle. 

Roll dough up, jelly-roll-style, starting from the longer side.  Cut the roll in half lengthways but not all the way, leaving about an inch at the top uncut.  Twist the two halves to form a braid.  

Carefully move braided dough to the loaf pan, cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rise for at least 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes; the loaf should sound hollow when you tap it.  Remove from oven, allow it cool, then and take it out of the pan.  Slice and serve once completely cooled. 

Makes one loaf.

From Vikalinka.com with changes for clarity