Sunday, May 31, 2009

do the chickens have large talons?

last post i swear! but this was an extra-special request from my extra-special long lost roommate and friend lyndsey 'legs' cox, better known to you as liinsay. on second thought, probably not since she's never added a recipe to the blog..looks sternly.. 
for those of you who've been to our apartment, sharing this recipe for breaded chicken will only confirm your notion that we have some weird poultry fetish (we don't). but let me just state that legs started it!!! she's the one who brought the rubber chicken into our lives and it sorta just escalated from there.. anyhoo, this recipe involves handling raw chicken so she must be trying to impress someone. but yeah its pretty tasty and fun for the whole family if you feel like chicken tonite. 


















you'll need:
chicken breasts 
some flour 
1-2 eggs 
breadcrumbs
grated parmesan 
dried herbs 
s+p 

1. wash your chicken breasts and pat dry. then cut into strips (or not..) 
2. prepare three plates/shallow bowls: one with just the flour, one with just the (whisked) eggs, and the third with the remaining dry ingredients. i didn't give measurements because it depends on the amount of chicken used, but its equal parts breadcrumbs and parm (maybe a little less parm) you can use any dried herb you like but i usually go for 'herbes de provence' or this Greek seasoning made by clubhouse.  
3. working with a couple chicken strips at a time, dip the strips first in flour (lightly), then in the eggs (shake off excess), then in your breadcrumb mixture. if you like a thicker breading (fatty) you can double dip them (back in the eggs, then the b-mix)  
4. when all your strips are good and breaded, you have two choices: either bake them for 20-25 mins @400 degrees turning once, or fry em up in your skillet with a little olive oil until done (NO pink) enjoy with your fav dipping sauce, or sliced lemons work nicely too..

youre welcome, come home soon :)

coucou coocoo cukoo


too many desserts on the dancefloor! k seriously needed to get some savory back in here. sorry for pulling a james and posting five thousand recipes at once but im on a train and im bored. so deal.  

ok but this is a persian dish (unsure on spelling) my dad makes and it really hits the spot. it tastes supremely healthy because it is! besides the dozen eggs...ALSO its the closest thing to vegan ive posted ever! again, except for all the eggs...but it needs something to bind it together. i guess you could try it with whatever egg supplement you crazy veegs are using these days? ok i take it back vegans are not crazay. just protein deficient... just kidding again, relax! so you can eat this as a side, as a main, sandwiched between bread as a sandwich. best served with sliced tomatoes... its super versatile and keeps well in le frigo.  oh yeah and apparently kookoo means 'where is it?' in farsi... sooo its that good. 


- 1 bunch curly parsley 

- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (k dont ask me why both varieties are needed...) 

- 1 bunch green onions 

- 6 leaves of romaine lettuce 

- spinach leaves (optional, for some reason..i dont know..) 

- 6 eggs (or more...) 

- coarsely chopped walnuts about 85-100g ( depending on how much do you like walnuts slash hate that guy with the nut allergy?) 

- 80g  barberries (they are these kickass delicious tarty berries.. if you cannot find these cranberries work too but your dish will suffer for it)  

- s+p to taste 


top it all off with sliced tomatoes dressed with olive oil, balsamic and DILL! dried or fresh. once i sprinkled some dried mint on it by accidento and it was kinda narst. also if you wanna use leftovers to do the coocoo on a bun option, use tomatoes + some feta yum! 


directions:

1. chop all the greens really finely. a food processor works best (just dont overdo it otherwise the veg gets bitter) 

2. Stir in your walnuts and berries 

3. Add the 6 eggs carefully do not overmix. depending on the amount of veggies that came in your bunches etc. you may need extra eggs. use your judgment you fool, foolish sucka! 

4. Now pour the mixture into a well-oiled frying pan and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes. At this point youll need to flip it over to cook it on the other side.  XXX-Large spatula works or the plate flip method or cutting the coocoo into more manageable pieces before flipping. you want the eggs to set and both sides to brown nicely.  Alternatively, if you have an oven-proof pan you can cook it in the oven for 30-40 mins. ok so confession times ive never made this i just scribbled down the recipe as my dad was making it today but if youre willing to be my guinea pigs i will make it for you? dinner party at my house? bring your fancy pants!

easy peasy lemon squeezy


this recette for lemony shortbread is basically the opposite of the frangipane tart cos its so quick and easy. there are only 3 ingredients to your typical shortbread: butter flour sugar, this recipe called for lemon zest..although the cookies had a fun shape (like those math kits in grade school!) they were kinda lacking in flava flav, next time ill add more zest! although i smeared some raspberry jam on it and it was absolutely glorious. like a fat man's morning toast. whaaat.  lake ontario is so pretty - highlight of this 20 hour train ride. 


1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tbs lemon zest (ok i used some orange zest too..) 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 


Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add zest and blend. Stir in flour a little at a time. Your dough will be crumbly, so pour it out onto a board and werk it out by hand until the dough is smooth. Roll it out into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut it into any shape you desire. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  see? SO easy.

your mom ate the tarts..







so geojamie challenged me to outfruit (ha.) his tarts, whilst searching google images to find a way to fit the most fruit onto a tart i happened upon this recipe for a similar tart made with fraangipaane but it had lemon in every layer. they call it raspberry lemon & frangipane tart. mother's day was a good enough reason as any to try my hand at this labourious tarte. it kinda took all day since you need to let the parts chill out. still, it turned out delicious. but i think i failed the challenge. i shouldve just dumped the raspberries on top instead of spending hours (1 minute) laying them all cos when i added teh 'glaze' it got all fuglay on me. (hence no foto of the final product) im writing this on the train and i can see the reflection in the mirror, the chick in front of me has just started on her third movie.. green mile and that guy is humongous. ok i stop spying now. i wonder if the guy behind me is reading all my recipes? stop being creepy guy behind me! or go read my blog its called gastronometrics.blogspot.com. clever title right ? ha k i saw 2 shirts i want #1 says 'no one reads my blog' #2 says 'i look better online' 1000000 points for whoever finds them for moi :D ok ok ok here's the recipe. oh no! now theyre runing around in denim overalls (so hot) and theyre beating up on the huge guy who is crying? with dead bloody girls in his arms? explain! i guess i should see this movie. speaking of bloody, my flipping murderous cat caught a baby rabbit this morning and ate her brains out. no joke. k i stop for reals. happy mother's day! (via bbc foods) 


FOR THE PASTRY:

200g plain flour 

140g  butter (cut in small pieces) 

100g sugar 

zest of 1 lemon 

1 egg yolk 

a few drops of vanilla extract 


FOR THE LEMON CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE: 

3 egg yolks 

100g sugar 

1 tbsp plain flour 

1 tbsp cornflour 

250ml milk 

zest + juice of 1 limón 

50g butter 


FOR THE FRANGIPANE: 

85g butter, room temp. 

85g sugar 

85g ground almonds 

zest of 1 lemon 

1 egg 


FOR THE TOPPING: 

100ml whipping cream 

rAsPbeRriEs! 

5 tbsp raspberry jam (seedless) 

2 tbsp kirsch or cointreau


TEN STEPS:

1. To make the pastry, put the flour and butter in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Tip in the sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and mix slightly. Now work in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until you have a smooth dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in saranwrap and chill for au moins une heure (and up to 2 days). 


2. While your pastry is chillin, make the lemon crème pâtissière (snobby way of saying lemon custard). Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together for 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns pale. Tip in the flour + cornflour and mix well. Put the milk and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling milk over the mixture in the bowl, whisking continuously until everything is smooth. 


3. Pour the custard into the pan, place over med-heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge until completely cold. 


4. To make the frangipaaaannne: in a large bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined. 


5. on a floured surface, roll out the pastry dough into a thin layer, and then place in a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Leave a lip hanging over the edge.  Chill the tart for at least an hour (in the freezer is best). 


6. Put a baking tray in the over and preheat it to 180C. Using a spatula stir the crème pâtissière until smooth, then spread 3/4 of it over the base of the tart. 


7. Spoon the frangipane into a piping bag with a small nozzle..... or who the hell has a pipping bag? for a makeshift version: spoon the mixture into a strong plastic baggie, squeeze it into the end, and cut off the tip of the bag. Pipe lines of frangipane over the custard. there will be gaps, but the frangy will spread in the oven. 


8. Put the tart on the hot baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown. You can trim off the overhanging pastry after baking to make it look profesh. Lift the tart and base from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool complètement.


9. To make the topping, put the cream in a bowl and "whip until billowy". Using a spatula, fold the remaining custard into the cream, then spread the mixture over the frangipane. 


10. Arrange the raspberries on top of the tarte. Put the jam and liqueur in a small pan and bring to a simmer, stirring, until it coats the back of your spoon. Use a pastry brush to cover the raspberries with the glaze. Cool slightly, then move the tart from the base to a serving plate, divvy it up, enjoy! love your mother! 


ps. sorry this post is so gaddamn long..