Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock (NOT low-sodium)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and the celery. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until flour loses it's granular texture, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until flour taste is gone and mixture is thickened. Add broccoli, carrots, sauteed onion, and celery; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (optional) or 1⁄2teaspoon dried thyme, crushed (optional)
• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini
• 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (Parmesan cheese)

Directions

1. Preheat oven broiler.
2. In a small frying pan over medium heat, warm two tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and dried thyme (if using it). Sauté until the onion wilts (about five minutes).
3. Prepare the zucchini by cutting off the stems and blossom ends, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut them crosswise into thin slices.
4. Add the zucchini, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally (until tender but not mushy- about 10 to 12 minutes).
5. Just before the zucchini slices are done, add the fresh thyme (if using it) and the basil OR parsley.
6. Place the mixture in a colander to cool and allow excess water to drain out (about ten minutes).
7. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Beat in the salt, pepper, and cheese. Add the drained cooled zucchini and onion mixture.
8. Pour the remaining two tablespoons olive oil in a flameproof 12-inch skillet or omelet pan and place over medium heat. When it is hot enough to make the eggs sizzle, pour in the egg mixture, making sure the zucchini mixture is distributed evenly. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook the frittata gently until it is set (about 12-15 minutes). Be careful not to overcook the eggs.
9. To finish cooking, slide the pan under the preheated broiler six inches from the heat until the top is golden (about 1-2 minutes more).
10. Use a spatula to loosen the edges from the pan, slide the frittata out onto a serving plate.
11. Serve warm or cold, cut into wedges.

Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. To make Pastry: Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and stir until mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside 1/4 cup to use as a topping.
3. Press remaining pastry mixture into an 8-inch square pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack.
4. To make Filling: Beat together the white sugar, and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix well. Spread filling mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle reserved mixture on as a topping.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack and refrigerate. Serve with fruit.

Best Bombshell Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil and lightly grease the foil (or use parchment paper, if desired).
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Basic Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• Cornmeal (or flour), for the pizza peel

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes, pureed with an immersion blender
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• Parmesan cheese, optional
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn

Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in the salt then the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.
2. In the meantime, heat together the garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, salt, oregano, and olive oil together in a small saucepan over medium heat.Once simmering, remove from heat and set aside until needed.
3. Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 475 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with cornmeal.
4. Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter (about 1/4-inch thick), or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the cornmeal-coated peel. Spread the tomato sauce over the crust, and add the mozzarella and Parmesan on top of the pizza. Sprinkle with the torn basil.
5. With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

French Onion Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 small onions, sliced into rings
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon beef base
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 loaf rustic bread, small, or 4 slices of your favorite thick bread
• 2 slices white cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and reduce heat to medium.
2. Cook onions for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Continue to cook onions until they begin to soften and turn golden in color.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in pepper, beef base and water; stir.
4. Cook just until liquid has absorbed and onions begin to thicken. Remove from heat.
5. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Butter one side of each bread.
6. Place two slices of bread, buttered side down on hot grill pan.
7. Divide onion mixture between both slices of bread, top with cheese and remaining slice of bread; buttered side up.
8. Grill sandwiches for 2-4 minutes per side or until outside is golden and cheese has melted. Serve.

Baked Brie

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 round brie cheese (8 to 12 ounces, 5- to 7-inch diameter)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Optional extras: See Variations
• Baguette slices or crackers, to serve

Directions

1. Warm the oven to 400 degrees F: Place an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside, or bake your brie in a pie plate.
2. Roll out the puff pastry: Dust your counter with a small amount of flour. Unwrap your puff pastry and place it on the counter. Rub your rolling pin with a little flour and roll the puff pastry until it measures roughly 11 inches by 11 inches. No need to get out a ruler; it's fine to estimate.
3. Wrap the brie in the pastry: Place the round of brie in the middle of the pastry. Top with any optional extra toppings, if using. Fold the corners over the brie, forming a neat package. Use your hand to gently press the edges against the brie and neaten up the sides.
4. Transfer the wrapped brie to the baking sheet or pie plate. If the pastry has warmed and is no longer cool to the touch at this point, place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes, or until you're ready to bake and serve.
5. Brush with egg: Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Be sure to get the sides and around the folds. Try not to let the egg puddle under the brie.
6. Bake until golden-brown: Bake the brie until the pastry is deep golden-brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes: This gives the hot cheese time to firm up a little. Cut into the brie early and most of it will gush right out — which is still delicious, but less tidy.
8. Transfer to serving platter: Use the parchment paper to transfer the brie to a serving plate. If you baked it in a pie plate, serve straight from the plate, but double check that the plate has cooled enough to handle.
9. Serve warm: Arrange sliced baguette or crackers around the brie and serve while warm.

Baked Brie Variations

• Jam & Brie: Top with a few spoonfuls jam or preserves, like raspberry jam, apricot jam, or jalapeño jelly.
• Honey & Nuts: Top with a few spoonfuls of honey and toasted, chopped nuts, especially walnuts or pecans.
• Cranberry Sauce: Top with a few spoonfuls of store-bought or homemade cranberry sauce.
• Baked Apples: Slice or chop any tart baking apple and cook with butter over low heat until soft and warmed through. Scoop on top of the brie.
• Caramelized Onions: Slowly caramelize one onion over low heat until very brown, soft, and sweet-tasting. You can stir in a few teaspoons of brown sugar or balsamic vinegar if you like. Scoop over the brie.
• Onions & Mushrooms: Caramelize one onion and add chopped or sliced mushrooms in the last half of cooking.

Recipe Notes

• Baking and serving the brie in a pie plate helps contain the warm, melted cheese and makes it a little easier for guests to scoop up bites.
• Pie dough is an excellent alternative to puff pastry with this recipe.
• The brie can be wrapped in pastry and kept refrigerated for up to a day before baking and serving. Brush with egg wash just before baking.

Green Tapenade Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound green (spinach) penne
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup pitted Picholine and Niçoise olives (mostly green Picholine, with a few black Niçoise for contract and color)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• The leaves from 2 stems fresh thyme
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 cups combined baby spinach and baby arugula leaves, lightly chopped

Directions

1. Cook the penne until al dente in salted boiling water.
2. Meanwhile, decimate the garlic clove in the food processor. When it is in a million pieces, add the olives, capers, and thyme to the food processor and pulse to a rubble. Add the lemon zest and juice and olive oil and black pepper. Pulse a bit more. You want the sauce to be slightly chunky.
3. Drain the pasta well, and toss with the tapenade. Allow to cool to room temperature, then toss in the spinach and arugula.

"The Grey Stuff" - Oreo Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5 ounce cup) of mini Oreos
• 1 (3.4 ounce box) of cookies and cream pudding mix
• 1 1/2 cups chilled milk
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 1/2 packet unflavored gelatin to stiff peaks
• Edible pearls, if desired, decoration

Directions

1. Pulse mini Oreos in a food processor until crumbled into fine crumbs. Set aside.In a large bowl, add cookies and cream pudding mix and milk. Whisk until pudding mix is dissolved. Let stand in fridge for 5 minutes. When mixture has thickened and started to set, add Oreo crumbs and mix. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fold in the whipped cream until well combined, adding more if desired until desired taste and consistency is achieved.
2. Pipe or dollop onto a chilled plate and top with edible pearls, if desired.

Croque-Monsieur Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 4 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham
• 4 ounces sliced Gruyère cheese
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until sauce thickens, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat broiler. Place 2 bread slices on work surface. Top each with half of ham and sliced Gruyère. Top with remaining bread. Heat heavy large skillet over low heat. Brush sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add to skillet and cook until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to small baking sheet. Spoon sauce, then grated cheese over sandwiches. Broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Garnish with chives.
3. Serves 2.

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
• Add all ingredients to list

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs. Layer spinach, cheese, and onion in pie shell, making several layers of each. Pour in egg mixture. Place quiche on prepared cookie sheet. Cover quiche with foil.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is set.

French Croissants

Ingredients 

For the croissant dough

• 500 g unbleached all-purpose flour / plain flour (extra for dusting)
• 140 g water
• 140 g whole milk (you can take it straight from the fridge)
• 55 g sugar
• 40 g soft unsalted butter
• 11 g instant yeast
• 12 g salt

Other ingredients

• 280 g cold unsalted butter for laminating
• 1 egg + 1 tsp water for the egg wash

Directions

DAY 1
Making the croissant dough

1. Combine the dough ingredients and knead for 3 minutes until the dough comes together and you’ve reached the stage of low to moderate gluten development. You do not want too much gluten development because you will struggle with the dough fighting back during laminating. Shape the dough like a disc, not a ball, before you refrigerate it, so it will be easier to roll it into a square shape the following day. Place the disc on a plate, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.
   

DAY 2
Laminating the dough

1. Cut the cold butter (directly from the fridge) lengthwise into 1.25 cm thick slabs. Arrange the pieces of butter on waxed paper to form a square of about 15 cm x 15 cm. Cover the butter with another layer of waxed paper and with a rolling pin pound butter until it’s about 19 cm x 19 cm. Trim/straighten the edges of the butter and put the trimmings on top of the square. Now pound lightly until you have a final square of 17 cm x 17 cm. Wrap in paper and refrigerate the butter slab until needed.
2. Use just enough flour on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. However keep the amount to a minimum, otherwise too much flour will be incorporated between the layers and this will show in the end result.
3. Take the dough out of the fridge. With a rolling pin roll out the dough disc into a 26 cm x 26 cm square. Try to get the square as perfect as possible and with an even thickness. Get the slab of butter from the fridge. Place the dough square so one of the sides of the square is facing you and place the butter slab on it with a 45 degree angle to the dough so a point of the butter square is facing you. Fold a flap of dough over the butter, so the point of the dough reaches the center of the butter. Do the same with the three other flaps. The edges of the dough flaps should slightly overlap to fully enclose the butter. With the palm of your hand lightly press the edges to seal the seams.
4. Now the dough with the sealed in butter needs to be rolled out. With a lightly floured rolling pin start rolling out, on a lightly flour dusted surface, the dough to a rectangle of 20 x 60 cm. Start rolling from the center of the dough towards the edges, and not from one side of the dough all the way to the other side. This technique helps you to keep the dough at an even thickness. You can also rotate your dough 180 degrees to keep it more even, because you tend to use more pressure when rolling away from you than towards yourself. You can use these techniques during all the rolling steps of this recipe. Aim at lengthening the dough instead of making it wider and try to keep all edges as straight as possible.
5. Fold the dough letter style, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes (fold one third of the dough on top of itself and then fold the other side over it). Repeat the rolling and folding two more times (ending up with 27 layers of butter in total), each time rolling until the dough is about 20 cm x 60 cm. After each fold you should turn the dough 90 degrees before rolling again. The open ‘end’ of the dough should be towards you every time when rolling out the dough. After the second turn, again give it a 30 minute rest in the fridge. After the third turn you leave the dough in the fridge overnight until day 3, the actual croissant making day!
• Sometimes the dough will resist to get any longer than for example 45 cm, stop rolling and pressing the dough, it will only hurt your layers. At any stage when the rolling of the dough gets harder you can cover the dough and let the gluten relax for 10 to 20 minutes in the fridge before continuing.

• Roll out to 20 cm x 60 cm
• Refrigerate 30 minutes
• Rotate 90 degrees
• Roll out to 20 cm x 60 cm
• Refrigerate 30 minutes
• Rotate 90 degrees
• Roll out to 20 cm x 60 cm
• Refrigerate until day 3
• Rotate 90 degrees
• Roll out to 20 cm x 110 cm

• Each laminating step should not take more than a few minutes. However if, due to initial inexperience for example, it should take you longer, you can fold your dough letter style, cover it and refrigerate it for 20 minutes and continue the rolling process after this rest. It is very important the butter stays solid.

DAY 3
Dividing the dough

1. Take the dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface. Now very gently roll the dough into a long and narrow strip of 20 cm x 110 cm. If the dough starts to resist too much or shrink back during this process you can fold it in thirds and give it a rest in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes before continuing. Do not fight the dough, when the dough refuses to get any longer, rest it in the fridge! It is such a shame to ruin two days of work.
2. When your dough has reached its intended shape, carefully lift it a few centimeters to allow it to naturally shrink back from both sides. This way it will not shrink when you cut it. Your strip of dough should be long enough to allow you to trim the ends to make them straight and still be left with a length of about 100 cm.

Shaping the croissants

1. For the next stage you will need a tape measure and a pizza wheel. Lay a tape measure along the top of the dough. With the wheel you mark the top of the dough at 12.5 cm intervals along the length (7 marks total). Now lay the tape measure along the bottom of the dough and make a mark at 6.25 cm. Then continue to make marks at 12.5 cm intervals from this point (8 marks total). So the bottom and the top marks do not align with each other and form the basis for your triangles.
2. Now make diagonal cuts starting from the top corner cutting down to the first bottom mark. Make diagonal cuts along the entire length of the dough. Then change the angle and make cuts from the other top corner to the bottom mark to create triangles. Again repeat this along the length of the dough. This way you will end up with 15 triangles and a few end pieces of dough.
3. Using your pizza wheel, make 1.5 cm long notches in the center of the short side of each dough triangle.
4. Now very gently elongate each triangle to about 25 cm. This is often done by hand, but we have found that elongating with a rolling pin, very carefully, almost without putting pressure on the dough triangle, works better for us. You can try both methods and see what you think gives the best result.
5. After you cut a notch in the middle of the short end of the triangle, try and roll the two wings by moving your hands outwards from the center, creating the desired shape with a thinner, longer point. Also try and roll the dough very tightly at the beginning and put enough pressure on the dough to make the layers stick together (but not so much as to damage the layers of course).

Proofing and baking

1. Arrange the shaped croissants on baking sheets, making sure to keep enough space between them so they will not touch when proofing and baking. Combine the egg with a teaspoon of water and whisk until smooth. Give the croissants their first thin coating of egg wash.
2. Proof the croissants draft-free at an ideal temperature of 24ºC to 26.5ºC (above that temperature there is a big chance butter will leak out!). The proofing should take about 2 hours. You should be able to tell if they are ready by carefully shaking the baking sheet and see if the croissants slightly wiggle. You should also be able to see the layers of dough when looking at your croissants from the side.
3. Preheat the oven at 200ºC / 390ºF convection or 220ºC / 430ºF conventional oven.
4. Right before baking, give the croissants their second thin coat of egg wash. Bake the croissants in our big convection oven for 6 minutes at 195ºC, then lowering the temperature to 165ºC, and bake them for another 9 minutes. Take out of the oven, leave for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
5. Best eaten while warm and fresh of course. Freeze any croissant not eaten or shared within a day. To reheat, put them in the preheated oven (180ºC / 355ºF) for 8 minutes straight from the freezer.
6. Use the excess dough trimmed from the edges to make, a bit odd shaped but still very delicious, ‘pain au chocolate’. The trimmed dough parts are still worth using, it would be a shame to throw them away!