Portobello Waffles with Balsamic Syrup

8 Servings

· Prep: 40 min. Cook: 5 min./batch

Ingredients

· 1 cup balsamic vinegar
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· 2 bacon strips, chopped
· 1/2 cup butter, softened
· 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
· 2 large portobello mushrooms (8 ounces), cubed
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 2 eggs
· 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
· 1/2 cup canola oil

Directions

· In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup. In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon and drippings to a small bowl; cool slightly. Add butter and goat cheese; beat until blended.

· In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender; cool slightly. Place 1/4 cup mushrooms in a food processor. Cover and process until finely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, thyme, pepper and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil and chopped mushrooms; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the cubed mushrooms.

· Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown. Serve with goat cheese butter and balsamic syrup. Yield: 16 waffles (1 cup butter and 1/3 cup syrup).




Portobello Waffles with Balsamic Syrup published in Mushrooms Every Day, Every Way January 2009

Braised Lamb Shanks

Braised Lamb Shanks (Lou Rook, Annie Gunn's)

Posted: Tuesday, March 9, 2004 11:02 am

With Irish Stout And Root-Vegetable Pan Gravy

Lou Rook, Annie Gunn’s

Yield: 4 servings.

4 (10- to 14-ounce) lamb shanks

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout

2 quarts beef broth, mushroom broth, lamb stock or veal stock (see note)

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced into medium cubes

1 pound parsnips, peeled and diced

2 medium turnips, peeled and diced

1 head garlic, peeled and chopped

2 large onions, peeled and diced into medium pieces

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/2 cup tomato paste

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper to taste. Combine stout and broth in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Sear lamb shanks until brown on all sides. Put the browned lamb shanks, celery root, parsnips, turnips, garlic, onions, rosemary and tomato paste in a Dutch oven or a roasting pan with a cover.

Add hot broth to the roasting pan, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven. Uncover and check for proper doneness (fork-tender), using a skewer or a knife. There should be little resistance. If the meat still appears to be tough, cover and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

When meat is properly done, remove shanks from broth. Strain out remaining ingredients, reserving broth. Remove rosemary stems from the vegetables, then purée the vegetables with a food processor, food mill or hand-held mixer. (This will serve as a natural thickener in the gravy.)

Add broth to vegetables; stir in salt and pepper to taste. Reheat if necessary. Swirl in butter to make pan gravy. Place lamb shanks in the pan gravy; keep warm until ready to serve. Champ or Colcannon (see recipes) makes a great accompaniment.

PER SERVING: 772 calories; 51g fat (59 percent calories from fat); 24g saturated fat; 160mg cholesterol; 29g protein; 48g carbohydrate; 19g sugar; 9.5g fiber; 2,861mg sodium; 136mg calcium; 979mg potassium.

Note: You can reduce the sodium in this recipe substantially by substituting low-sodium broth.

Liptauer Cheese Spread Recipe - Hungarian Korozott Juhturo

Liptauer is a soft, unripened cheese made from sheep's milk that comes from Lipto in what is now Liptov in northern Slovakia. The word Liptauer has become synonymous with the spread it is made with.
Romanian brindza, or a combination of farmers, cottage or cream cheese and sour cream can be used in place of Liptauer.
Liptauer cheese spread is typically eaten as an appetizer or snack with dark rye bread, radishes, hard-cooked eggs, green onions, green pepper and beer. Hungarians, Czechs, Austrians and some Scandinavians all claim it as their own.
Makes about 1 cup Liptauer Cheese Spread - Korozott Juhturo
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Liptauer or brindza or farmers cheese at room temperature
4 ounces (1 stick) soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon pounded caraway seeds
1 small grated onion
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
Preparation:
Sieve cheese into a medium bowl. Beat in butter. Add remaining ingredients, combining thoroughly. Adjust seasonings. Refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to marry. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Variations: Capers and chives may be added and sieved cottage cheese or cream cheese can be used in place of Liptauer, brindza or farmers cheese. If you want to turn this into a veggie dip, add 1/3 cup sour cream.

Serbian Baked Cheese and Eggs Recipe - Prijesnac

This easy Serbian baked cheese and egg casserole is a great vegetarian main course, side, breakfast or brunch dish, or even an appetizer.Prijesnac wouldn't be considered a fasting dish, however, because it contains milk, eggs, cheese and butter. There are many variations of prijesnac. Here is one I like.

Makes 6 to 8 servings of Serbian Prijesnac
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
2 ounces (1/2 stick) melted butter
2 pounds brick or jack cheese, coarsely grated
1 (16-ounce) container large cottage cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
8 large beaten eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour into the prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Honey Pie - Melopita

Part custard, part cheesecake, a Honey Pie orMelopita (meh-LOH-peeta) is so versatile that you will find yourself trying it many ways. You can make this like a pie with a bottom and/or top crust. You can try it as a tart as I make it. Or you can make it without a crust entirely as it is enjoyed on the island of Sifnos in Greece. Either way, it is sure to please.
Traditionally this is made with soft Myzithra (mee-ZEE-thra) cheese, but if that is not readily available, use Ricotta cheese as a great substitute.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 lb. soft Myzithra or Ricotta cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
zest of one lemon, grated
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon and more honey for serving
For the crust: (You can also substitute a prepared pie shell)
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. brandy or cognac
2 tbsp. ice water
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in to 1/4 inch pieces
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make crust in Food Processor: Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Pulse a few times to mix. Add chilled butter pieces and process until crumbly, like wet sand. Add egg yolk, vanilla, brandy, and 1 tbsp. ice water. Process until dough pulls together and forms a ball away from the sides. Add an additional tbsp. of water if it seems too dry. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and flatten dough in to a round disk. Chill dough while you prepare the filling.

To make the crust by hand: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the butter pieces and using two forks or a pastry blender, cut the butter in to the flour. (You can also use your hands for this.) The mixture should resemble coarse sand when the butter is incorporated fully. Add egg yolk, vanilla, brandy, and water and mix to incorporate, kneading dough into a smooth ball. Flatten in to a round disk and chill while mixing the filling.
Make the Filling: To a medium sized bowl add Myzithra or Ricotta cheese, eggs, honey, lemon zest, flour, and sugar. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough to the approximate size of your baking pan. I use a 10-inch tart circle with a removable bottom. You can substitute a spring form pan, a round cake pan, or even a pie dish.
Lightly grease the pan's bottom and sides. Your dough should be large enough to push up the sides of your pan. The easiest way to transfer the dough from the counter to the pan is to roll it back on to your rolling pin and then unroll it over the pan.
Press the dough in to the sides and bottom of the pan. Add filling and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the filling sets (it won't jiggle in the center) and it begins to turn a golden brown color. Baking times will vary according to the size you choose to make. For a 10-inch tart, it should take around 40 minutes. A deeper, 9-inch pie plate could take up to 50 minutes. Be sure to monitor your pie after 35 minutes of baking time.
Serve on a plate drizzled with honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.