Wednesday, October 3, 2018

How to Make Tiropita - Tiropita Recipe

How to Make Tiropita

Ingredients

2 pounds of feta cheese, drained of any excess liquid and crumbled.
Lemon zest
Ricotta cheese (optional)
Nutmeg (optional)
Toasted walnuts (optional)
Honey (optional)
Spinach (optional. Adding spinach makes these spanakopita)
3 eggs, beaten
1 or more cubes of butter
1 pound of filo pastry sheets. Completely thaw the filo in the refrigerator and in its packaging if it was frozen.

How to make it

Steps

1 Crumble the feta cheese. 

A pair of forks works well. Beat the eggs.

2 Mix the beaten eggs into the feta.

 Refrigerate this filling mixture for about 30 minutes. The refrigeration step is optional, but it gives you time to prepare everything else.

3 Melt the butter over low heat and keep it warm. 

You can clarify the butter by skimming off the white solids.

Keep the butter warm in a small crock pot, over a very low flame, or by storing it in a heavy, ceramic pot. You can microwave it for a few seconds now and then to reheat.

4 Unfold the filo and spread it on waxed paper. 

Measure the filo on the short side and decide if you will cut it into two, three, or four strips. It's better to have strips that are too wide than too narrow.

5 Use clean scissors or a sharp knife to cut the filo sheets into strips about 4 inches (10cm) wide. 

You can cut a stack of several sheets at once.

Folding the dough back along itself as you go can help to keep the cuts straight and parallel to the edge.

6 Work with a moderate number of sheets at a time, perhaps a dozen or so.

 Roll extra sheets tightly in waxed paper and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to work with them. Filo that dries out tears much more easily.

7 Spread a generous length of waxed paper onto a table and have the filling, melted butter, pastry brush, trays or baking sheets, and filo close at hand.

8 Lay a strip of filo on waxed paper and brush it generously with warm, melted butter.

 The butter makes the filo bake to a flaky crisp. (In the photo, instead of waxed paper, there's a blue silicone baking sheet, for contrast.)

9 Place one to two tablespoons of the feta mixture on one end of a strip of filo.

 You can eyeball the quantity according to the size of the strip.

10 Fold the filo around the filling on a diagonal so that the corner meets the opposite edge.

11 Fold the tiropita straight up, following the edge.

12 Repeat the diagonal and straight folding until you reach the end.

 If there is a bit of extra, tuck it in or simply fold it around and stick it to the outside.

This is the same fold used for the United States flag, after it has been folded in half twice.

13 Brush the entire outside surface with more melted butter.

14 Lay the tiropita on a baking sheet in a single layer with a little space in between them. 

If you are making the tiropita before an event, you can stack them between sheets of waxed paper and freeze them until you are ready.

15 Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. 

Frozen tiropita will take a little longer to bake than thawed ones. Serve hot.

How to Make Potato and Pea Samosas - Potato and Pea Samosas Recipe

How to Make Potato and Pea Samosas

Ingredients

2-3 large chopped potatoes
1 cup peas
1 diced onion
1 tsp masala powder
Herbs of your choice (recommended: ginger, garlic, jeera/cumin seeds)
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil

How to make it

Steps

1 Mix the dough ingredients.

2 Knead in order to moisturize all of the flour.

3 Wet if dough is hard, until all parts are wet; added moisture will allow the dough to reach the correct consistency.

4 Knead additionally until dough is soft and pliant.

5 Heat a frying pan coated with a slight amount of oil.

6 Add herbs and seeds to heated pan.

7 Wait until garlic/ginger has been heated sufficiently and is no longer raw.

8 Fry potatoes, peas, and onions in the pan, with masala powder stirred in, until readiness (for three to four minutes; tasting will ensure filling is fully cooked).

9 Separate the dough into six to eight even chunks.

10 Flatten these chunks with rolling pins into circular shapes.

11 Halve the circles, yielding semicircles of flat dough.

12 Place about a tablespoon of filling in the center of the half-circle.

13 Fold the edge of the circle over the filling, creating a triangular cone shape.

14 Pinch the two open edges of the three-sided shape closed with a small amount of water.

15 Repeat steps 12-14 until you have created twelve to fifteen samosas.

16 Place samosas into frying dish in about 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) of oil.

17 Fry in the vegetable oil until the whole of each samosa’s crust is an even golden-brown color.

18 Move individual samosas as they reach completion out of the pan and onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil, replacing them with uncooked samosas after doing so.

19 Cool samosas on paper towel for two minutes.

20 Serve with ketchup or other sauces of your choice.

How to Make Zongzi (Chinese Tamales) - Zongzi (Chinese Tamales) Recipe

How to Make Zongzi (Chinese Tamales)

How to make it

Method 1 Traditional Zongzi

1 Prepare the glutinous rice and filling.

 This may require overnight soaking. Some recipes also suggest soaking the bamboo leaves overnight.

Glutinous rice goes by many names depending on country, culture or region: sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, mochi rice, biroin chal, and pearl rice. It's especially sticky when cooked. It does not contain gluten.

Fillings are usually savory, but there are many, many variations:

Skinless mung beans

Red bean paste

Jujubes

Char siu (Chinese barbecue pork)

Chinese Northern sausage

Chinese black mushrooms

2 Boil the bamboo leaves.

 Let cool and pat dry.

3 Scoop the rice onto the bamboo leaves.

4 Scoop the filling onto the rice.

5 Fold the leaves around the rice and filling and secure with twine. 

This is the trickiest part, so see the video illustrating one of the many ways you can wrap zongzi.

6 Simmer the zongzi for 2 to 5 hours (as instructed by the recipe; it will depend on the filling).

Method 2 Zongzi with Pork and Chestnut Filling

1 Gather your ingredients

5 cups glutinous rice
1/2 pound dried mung beans
20 dried chestnuts
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
10 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked with stems removed and caps sliced
20 bamboo leaves
1/2 pound pork belly, sliced

2 Add glutinous rice, mung beans and chestnuts to separate bowls.

3 Add enough warm water to cover the ingredients in the bowls.

 Soak overnight.

4 Drain the rice, mung beans and chestnuts before combining them in a large bowl.

 Do this after the ingredients have soaked overnight.

5 Add the salt and five-spice and stir to coat.

6 Soften mushrooms by pouring warm water over them.

 Cover and let stand approximately 20 minutes. Drain.

7 Discard the mushroom stems and thinly slice the mushroom caps.

8 Add bamboo leaves to a large pot.

9 Pour in enough water to cover. 

Bring the water to a boil and let the leaves cool.

10 Pat bamboo leaves dry before using to make the "tamales".

11 Place 2 bamboo leaves, slightly overlapping, on a clean work surface.

12 Add about 1/3 cup of the rice mixture in the center.

13 Top each mound of rice with a slice of pork and 3 to 4 slices of mushrooms.

14 Cover with about 2 tablespoons of rice and the mung bean mixture.

15 Fold the leaves over the "tamale" filling to enclose the filling completely.

16 Use kitchen twine or string to secure the "tamale".

17 Place tamales in a large pot, pour in enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil.

18 Lower the heat and cook until the tamales are tender, about 4 to 5 hours.

 Add more water, as needed, to keep the "tamales" covered with simmering water. Cook until the tamale filling feels tender when you squeeze it gently, four to five hours.

19 Drain the water from the "tamales" and serve warm.

Method 3 Sweet Zongzi

1 Gather your ingredients.

50 sheets of bamboo or reed leaves

Glutinous rice (1 kilogram), about 2.2 pounds

Chinese red dried dates (250 grams)

2 Cover both rice and dates with water. 

Cover the bowl and let mixture soak for 12 hours or until thoroughly soaked.

3 Wash the leaves.

4 Lay out leaves on a cutting or chopping board.

5 Fold the leaves flat at the leafstalk to make a sheet.

6 Hold the sheet, fold it round in the middle and make a funnel till both ends are laid over each other in one direction.

7 Add about 1/10 of a kilogram of rice and about 6 dates. 

Be sure to cover the dates with the rice.

8 Fold the leaves up to seal the open side of the funnel and tie the bundle with a band made of twisted leaves.

9 Put the tamales in a pot with water to cover.

 Make sure the tamales remain covered and pressed together during boiling.

10 Boil tamales for about 2 hours or cook in a pressure cooker for about 40 minutes.

How to Make Lumpia - Lumpia Recipe

How to Make Lumpia

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil or canola oil
1 pound (455 g) ground beef
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground black pepper
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) soy sauce
30 spring wrappers
2 cups (475 mL) vegetable oil or canola oil (for frying)

How to make it

Method 1 Precooking the meat

1 Heat on high heat, one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok.

 Place the ground beef in the skillet and cook thoroughly; get an all-around cooked/brown color leaving no pink. Remove pan from the heat and drain all the grease from the pan

2 Use the same exact pan and put the onion and garlic in. 

Cook these for 2 minutes and then add the green onions, cabbage, carrots, and ground beef in the mixture. Cook these together and sprinkle pepper, salt, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Stir and then remove pan from heat again.

3 Grab one of the lumpia wrappers and place it down on a cutting board (or a hard surface). 

Scoop up a good 3 tablespoons of the cooked mixture near one corner in a diagonally direction. Try to leave at least 1 1/2 inch (3.8 cm) space at both ends of the wrapper. Grab the corner nearest to the filling and fold it over the filling. Keep rolling and when you reach around the middle, tuck in both sides. Continue to wrap, but be sure to roll tight to keep everything in. When you reach the end, use a little water to seal the edge and then wrap it to create your roll. Use Saran Wrap or any plastic wrap to wrap each roll as you do the rest of the rolls. This is to keep the moisture in the roll.

4 Get a heavy skillet and pour a half inch depth of oil. 

Heat the oil for about 5 minutes. Use the sides of the skillet to "slide" the rolls into the oil. When you use the sides, you're preventing oil from splattering when each piece hits it.

5 Fry about 3 to 4 rolls at a time for about 1 or 2 minutes.

 Depending on how hot it is, you can also wait until the lumpia is golden brown. Place done rolls onto paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately.

6 Finished.

Method 2 Cooking everything at once

1 Use the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil or Canola oil
1 pound (455 g) ground beef or ground pork
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 finely grated carrot
4 button mushrooms, finely chopped
4 spring onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon (2 g) fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon (6 g) iodized sea salt
1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
30 spring wrappers
2 cups (475 mL) vegetable oil or Canola oil (for frying)

2 Mix all raw ingredients.

3 Wrap in spring roll "cigar" style, just roll with open ends.

Freeze in tightly sealed freezer bags or containers for make ahead lumpias.

4 Deep fry or pan fry in 1 inch (2.5 cm) oil until golden brown, adding more oil as necessary while frying.

 Don't let them get dark brown, which is burned.

5 Drain fried lumpias in paper towels.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie - Pumpkin Pie Recipe

How to Make Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

Classic Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt for crust
4 tablespoons (48 g) shortening
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (44 ml) to 5 tablespoons (74 ml) ice water
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce or 425 g) can pumpkin puree
1 (12-ounce or 355 ml) can evaporated milk
Whipped cream for serving

Makes a 9 in (23 cm) pie

Pumpkin Slab Pie

4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) salt
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
3 1/2 sticks (400 g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
3/4 cup (180 ml) ice water
2 (15-ounce or 425 g) cans pure pumpkin
2 cups (400 g) light or dark brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (470 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (59 ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon (3 g) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1/8 teaspoon (.2 g) fresh ground pepper
Whipped cream to serve

Makes a 10 x 15 in (25 x 38 cm) pan

How to make it

Method 1 Baking Classic Pumpkin Pie

1 Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C) and adjust the oven rack.

 Move an oven rack so it's in the center of the oven.

Consider placing a rimmed baking sheet underneath it to catch any drips.

2 Combine the flour and salt with the shortening and butter. 

To make the pie crust, measure 1 1/2 cups (180 g) of all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt into a mixing bowl. Stir and then use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix in 4 tablespoons (48 g) of shortening and 5 tablespoons (70 g) of unsalted butter.

The mixture should be crumbly once the fats are incorporated.

If you prefer, use a pre-made pastry dough that you place in the pie shell.

3 Mix in ice water to form a dough. 

Get out 3 tablespoons (44 ml) to 5 tablespoons (74 ml) of ice water. Start by putting 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the water into the dry mixture. Use a fork to toss the mixture until it begins to come together. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water at a time until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Avoid adding too much water or it will become sticky and difficult to work.

4 Roll out the crust and place it in the pie plate. 

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 in (30 cm) circle. Carefully lift the circle of dough into a 9 in (23 cm) pie plate. Press it into the plate and crimp the edges.

If you want to make the dough ahead of time, wrap it tightly and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

5 Beat 2 eggs in a large bowl and stir in the sugar, salt, ginger, and cloves.

 Crack 2 eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them until they're completely combined. Pour in 3/4 cup (150 g) of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt, 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground cloves.

Stir well so the spices are incorporated.

6 Stir in the pumpkin and evaporated milk.

 Open a 15-ounce (425 g) can of pumpkin puree and stir it into the spiced egg mixture. Open a 12-ounce (355 ml) can of evaporated milk and slowly stir it into the mixture until it's incorporated.

7 Pour the filling into the shell and bake the pie for 15 minutes. 

Scoop the pumpkin filling into your pastry-lined pie plate. Put the pie in the center of the preheated oven and bake it for 15 minutes.

Starting the pie at a high heat will help the crust become crisp.

8 Turn the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C) and bake it for 40 to 50 minutes

 Let the pie cook at the reduced temperature until it only jiggles slightly in the center. You can also check the pie by inserting a knife or skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is finished.

If the pie needs more time, continue to cook it for 5 more minutes and check it again.

9 Cool the pie for at least 2 hours. 

Remove the pie from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. It should be completely cool before you slice it into pieces. Serve the pie with whipped cream.

Refrigerate leftover pie in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.

Method 2 

1 Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C) and adjust the oven rack. 

Adjust your oven racks so you have 1 in the middle of the oven. You'll also need to get out a 10 x 15 in (25 x 38 cm) jellyroll pan for the pie.

2 Combine the flour, salt, and sugar with the butter. 

For the crust, measure 4 cups (480 g) of all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) of salt and 1 teaspoon (4 g) of granulated sugar. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix in 3 1/2 sticks (400 g) of cubed unsalted butter.

The smaller the cubes, the easier it is to cut in the butter.

Mix in the butter until it forms pea-sized clumps.

3 Add ice water to form a dough.

 Get out 3/4 cup (180 ml) of ice water. Put 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the water into the dry mixture at a time. Toss the dough together with a fork and keep adding 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water at a time until dough begins to form a ball.

The dough should pull away from the side of the bowl but it shouldn't become tacky or sticky.

4 Set aside 1/4 of the dough and roll out the rest to fit the pan.

 If you'd like to make decorative leaf cut-outs for the top of the pie, put 1/4 of the dough off to the side. Then roll the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface. Make it a large rectangle about 18 x 13 in (45 x 33 cm) so it fits in your jellyroll pan.

If you don't want to make the decorative leaf cut-outs, just roll out the entire ball of dough for the crust.

5 Arrange the pastry in the baking pan.

 Transfer the rectangle of dough to the jellyroll pan so some of the dough hangs over the sides. Use your fingers to press the dough into the sides and bottom of the pan. Then crimp the dough along the edges.

At this point, you can refrigerate the pastry in the pan while you mix the filling.

6 Mix the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, cornstarch, and spices. 

Open 2 15-ounce (425 g) cans of pumpkin puree and scoop them into a large mixing bowl. Stir in 2 cups (400 g) of brown sugar, 4 eggs, 2 cups (470 ml) of heavy cream, 1/4 cup (59 ml) of whole milk, 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons (16 g) of cornstarch and these spices:

2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon (3 g) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1/8 teaspoon (.2 g) fresh ground pepper

7 Spread the filling into the crust.

 Remove the pastry-lined pan from the refrigerator and spread the thick pumpkin pie filling into it.

Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to ensure the filling is even.

8 Bake the pie for 35 to 45 minutes.

 Put the slab pie in the preheated oven and cook it until it barely jiggles in the center. You can also insert a knife into the center to see if it comes out clean.

If it jiggles a lot or the knife doesn't come out clean, return the pie to the oven for 5 more minutes. Continue to check it until it's firm.

9 Cool the pie and roll out the pastry leaves if desired. 

Remove the pie from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely. If you'd like to make the decorative pastry leaves, get out the reserved dough and roll it to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. Use a leaf cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

10 Bake the pastry leaves if you're using them.

 Place the leaves on a baking sheet and bake them at 350 °F (177 °C) for 10 minutes while the pie cools. The leaves should puff up and turn light brown.

Remove the leaves to a wire rack to cool.

11 Serve the pumpkin slab pie. 

Once the optional pastry leaves have cooled completely, arrange them on the top of the cooled pie. Cut the pie into squares and serve it with whipped cream.

Store the leftover pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

How to Make Gluten Free Savory Pie Crust - Gluten Free Savory Pie Crust Recipe

How to Make Gluten Free Savory Pie Crust

Ingredients

Servings: 1 10" pie tin or 5 5" tart tins

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes refrigeration time

Cook Time: 20 minutes + Extra to cook the filling


1/2 cup rice flour
3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. dried mixed herbs
1/2 tsp. salt
125 g chilled butter + 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). butter, melted
1 egg

How to make it

Method 1 Prepare the Dough

1 Combine all of the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse them a few times to ensure they’re well mixed.

2 Dice the chilled butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.

3 Pulse the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. 

It's important to do this fairly quickly so that the butter doesn't have a chance to melt.

4 Add the egg next and pulse for longer increments until combined. 

The mixture should begin to clump together.

5 Dump the dough onto a clean cooking surface and shape it into a ball.

6 Wrap the dough ball in cling film and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

7 Unwrap the chilled dough and turn it onto a piece of wax paper on your counter top.

8 Begin to flatten it with your hand.

9 Place a piece of cling film on top of the flattened dough and roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it's 2 centimeter (0.8 in) thick.

10 Peel off the cling film and slide the wax paper and dough onto your cutting board.

11 Grease your pie tin with the remaining tablespoon of butter.

12 Place the greased tin on top of the dough, facing down.

13 Flip the board and pie tin right side up and remove the board from the top of the pie tin.

14 Use your hands to gently push the dough into the corners of the dish.

15 Pierce the base of the pie crust with a fork numerous times to create a place for the steam to eventually escape when it bakes.

16 Place a new piece of wax paper on top of the dough and place pie weights or beans on top of the wax paper. 

This is to help prevent the base of the crust from rising and bubbling as it cooks. This process is called blind baking.

Method 2 Baking

1 Blind bake the pastry for 20 minutes at 430°F (200°C).

2 Remove the crust from the oven, take out the weights and greaseproof paper, and return it to the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes to ensure that the base of the crust will not be soggy.

3 Finished.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

How to Make a Lemon Chiffon Pie - Lemon Chiffon Pie Recipe

How to Make a Lemon Chiffon Pie

Ingredients

8-inch single pie crust, baked, or 8-inch graham cracker crust
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (zest)
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt

How to make it

Steps

1 Prepare baked pie crust or graham cracker crust, your choice.

2 Soften gelatin in cold water.

3 Beat egg yolks slightly.

4 Add lemon juice, rind and half the sugar.

5 Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. 

This should take between 10 to 15 minutes.

6 Add gelatin and stir until dissolved.

7 Chill until mixture begins to thicken.

8 Beat egg whites until foamy.

9 Add salt and beat until stiff peaks begin to form.

10 Add remaining sugar, slowly to incorporate sugar granules into egg whites, beat constantly until stiff.

11 Fold egg whites into chilled egg yolk mixture.

12 Pile into prepared pie crust.

13 Chill.

14 Finished.