sketchbook 2011

I got a sketchbook from Art House Co-Op, for 2011, these are a few of the images I made, I can't wait to start the 2012 sketchbook.

savory cheese cake #2

this is becoming a Sunday tradition.


3/4 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
1 cup chopped veggies, (mushrooms, onion, green and red peppers)
3 slices chopped crispy bacon
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
2 single serve bags of Sun Chips

Preheat oven to 350°

Oil a 5" cake pan, cover bottom of pan with crushed Sun Chips.

Beat cream cheese until smooth, add eggs, mix until it is a smooth creamy consistency, add all veggies, bacon and seasoning mix until incorporated.

Pour over chips and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown on top, when the top is tapped and giggles as one unit it is done, cool about 10 minutes flip out onto a plate and flip again so it it right side up.

multigrain bread, kitty approved

easy peasy bread

preheat oven to 425°F, have a pan on the bottom shelf that you can add water to to create the steam that makes a nice crispy crust. Grease a cookie tray or line it with parchment.

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups warm water (100°F )
3 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 TB salt

mix yeast and water and 1/2 cup flour, let sit 15 mins till foamy.
mix yeast mixture with the rest of the flour and salt, mix till it forms a smooth ball, not real sticky, kneed until you can window pane it, about 10 mins, add more water if too dense, or more flour if too sticky.

let rise in oiled bowl till double in size, pound down and let rest 15 mins. form into balls and let rise again, till double, form into shapes you want to bake, I chose smallish batard shape. Let rise again. Bake at 425°F, have a pan on the bottom shelf heating up with the oven then 2 mins before putting the bread in the oven pour 1 cup water into the pan to create steam, quickly put the bread in to avoid loosing steam, bake for 20 mins check for doneness. I pulled mine after 20 mins, but sometimes it takes a bit longer.
bread so good even the cat couldn't resist it

cornmeal mush with spinach and mushrooms

no recipe just yummy lunch with pork

savory cheese cakes

Savory cheese cakes have been on my mind for a while now. Someone I used to work with brought in a cheesecake cookbook from England and the recipes for savory cheese cakes peaked my interest. So finally I have tried one, this is savory cheesecake number one.

1/2 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 Tb fresh dill
1 Tb minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

2 small red potatoes
1 tsp chipotle powder



Mix egg and room temp cream cheese until smooth, add herbs, mix until incorporated, add peas and mushrooms, mix just until incorporated, not too much you don't want to crush the peas.

Thinly slice red potatoes and toss in bowl with chipotle powder. Layer potatoes in well oiled 5 1/2 inch cake pan, pour cheese mixture on top, tap pan on counter to get cheese mixture evenly distributed in pan.

Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes until top is browned. Cheese cake is finished cooking when you pat the top and it jiggles like jello, one solid/continuous jiggle.

Run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake and place a plate on top of pan, invert, remove pan and place another plate on top and invert again, now it is right side up and ready to eat.

serves 2

Yummy!!!!

heart shaped creme puff

it was a heart shaped ring filled with almond cream and then the middle is whipped cream with fresh berries. I topped it with grated chocolate and toasted almonds, it was for a catered event at work, but I ate one it was yummy. This is the heart rings before I finished them off.

shrimp crackers

I made these today, it was an experiment. There is a cooking competition coming up, shrimp are a required ingredient, everything else is an optional ingredient. I'll be making lots of shrimp themed dishes for the next week or two.

pre heat oven to 400 degrees

1/2 cup cooked, shelled shrimp
1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 chopped peeled shallots
2Tb olive oil
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/4 flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
water

In a food processor make a paste of the shrimp, ginger, shallots and olive oil.
Add butter and pulse until mixed, but you still see chunks of pea sized chunks of butter.
In a bowl measure all dry ingredients, add the shrimp mixture and mix with your hands add water slowly till it forms a ball. You might not need much water if your shrimp are more wet.
Refrigerate for 30 mins.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, use semolina flour to keep dough from sticking. Cut into any shape desired, I used a 2 inch circle and cut each in half, prick with a fork to keep them from puffing too much. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

makes about 30 crackers.