Czech in the Kitchen

BRIEchon Cherry Cheesecakes

Posted by Pussycat in People Food - Recipes, Sweets | Leave a comment

28March2016

Sometimes things happen that make you play with food in a way that you wouldn’t otherwise. I recently became a board member at one of the city’s dog parks. This is something new to me – dog parks. I had a Cocker Spaniel for 14 years, he was a rescue and had spent his first year pretty much alone so he was very needy and barely left my side. Though he was super sweet and somewhat energetic, taking him for a run was plenty sufficient for him. In the last few years he was actually just happy to be near us and in the last year when we moved outside the city he ran back and forth around our property chasing the scent of all the various critters that crossed our two acres. His sense of smell was pretty incredible always but I’m guessing even more refined as he went deaf.

We weren’t going to get another dog but alas it seemed such a waste to have so much yard and no four legged to enjoy it with us. I cruised the shelter websites and when I saw Mojo, now Brax, I just couldn’t resist those oversized Shepherd ears and that black stoic face. The kids had moved out and I missed rushing home to a wagging tail, walking with a buddy, curling up with a fur ball, and just having a dog around.

Brax was about 5 months old and he quickly grew into those ears though they still sit like satellite dishes, moving independently, catching all the noise around him. He forces me to walk, which is a good thing, but as much as I try, he isn’t keen on being a lapdog, no matter how much I try to convince him otherwise. He’s far more social than Jesse ever was and thrives on being with other dogs, playing in the dog park and I get my steps in, it’s a win win.

He’s also opened up a whole new world of cooking for me. Not only did I start making his food, making sure he was getting a more holistic diet than the dried kibble but since becoming a board member for the KPDC dog park I’ve been playing with dog themed people food for our upcoming Dog Fest.

This is just one of the recipes that I’ve tailored to fit that theme — BRIEchon cherry cheesecakes. It’s an adaptation of the cheesecakes my mother used to make and they turned out to be pretty delicious.

BRIEchon Cherry Cheesecake

Crust

2 eggs
½ C sugar
¼ lb butter (preferably unsalted)
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 ¼ C flour
Splash of vanilla

Mix all ingredients into a dough. Use about a tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball then flatten it and drop into each muffin cup.

Filling

500 grams (I package ricotta) OR dry curd cottage cheese
2/3 Cup Sugar
3 egg yolks
1 package of vanilla pudding (UNSWEETENED) I use Dr. Oetker’s, the kind that you cook.
300 grams of softened Brie cheese
Zest of one lemon

Mix all ingredients in a mixer until smooth and then fill the muffin cups about 1/2 to 3/4 full. The crust and the filling puff up quite a bit and so make sure you leave some room for them to expand. The first time I made these I filled them too much and they overflowed… not pretty! I could have filled these a little more but they were still very good.

Bake the cheesecakes at 350 for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and allow to cool. Top with your favourite topping. This time I used canned cherry cranberry pie filling and drizzled with melted chocolate.

Before topping, the cheesecakes can be frozen until you’re ready to use them then just allow to come to room temperature, top and serve.

Southern Pulled Pork and Slaw

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes, Salads | 1 Comment

20February2016

Yum

I’ve never been much of a fan of pulled pork, not sure why, just didn’t seem to ever find it had much flavour. It was always a meal I could take or leave. The only recipe I ever liked was this one I found in my Simply HeartSmart Cooking by Bonnie Stern. I changed it up a little bit but it pretty much the same and it is by far my favourite.

It is definitely one of the best make ahead recipes I have, the stuff freezes and warms up like a dream. I love those kinds of dishes where you can make enough and freeze half for another time.

If it’s cold outside and you’d rather read a book by the fire than make dinner, get this stuff going in a crock pot and have relaxing day.

I pair this with a coleslaw recipe I found many, many years ago in a magazine. It’s a simple vinaigrette that pours hot over the coleslaw and is amazing. It has always been my ‘go to’. One I’ve only occasionally veered from and only by using celery seed instead of caraway seeds for those in my life who seem to dislike caraway seeds. Not sure how anyone does but alas it is apparently true…. so I adjust. 🙂

Lastly a word about these buns. Though I love bread I have tried to stay away from it most of the time in the last few years. I just find that it seems to sit in my guts and just doesn’t feel good. Because of this when I do indulge I want it to be for some REALLY good bread and these buns or rohliky are the only ones I just cannot resist. Topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds they are just as good with a smather of butter and warm from the oven… but I digress… I bought these at a local bakery and freeze them…. otherwise they would ALL get eaten by ME…. and I gently heat them in the oven at 350 degrees until they are soft…. just like freshly baked.

But really … any buns will do!

Southern Barbecued Pork Roast

(adapted slightly from Bonnie Stern’s Simply HeartSmart Cooking)

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped or minced
2 cups ketchup
1 cup vinegar (she uses cider but I’ve used white)
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbs worcestershire sauce
2 tbs hot red pepper sauce (she says 1 tsp and optional… I like more… way more)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup water
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 lbs boneless lean pork (I’ve used tenderloin)

Make the BBQ sauce by heating oil in a saucepan and adding garlic and onion, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rest of the ingredients and simmer until sauce thickens to the consistency of ketchup.

Rub pork with 1/2 cup of the sauce and place in slow cooker, add 1 cup water and cook on high for 8 hours or low for 4 hours. Remove roast from pan, skim fat off and add the rest of bbq sauce and bake for another hour, until heated through.

Coleslaw

1/2 large or 1 small cabbage sliced
2 small or 1 large carrot grated
1/2 large or 1 small onion halved and sliced very thin
2 celery stalks, sliced very thin
2 tsp of caraway seeds or 1 tsp of celery salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp dry mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

I use a mandolin to grate slice the cabbage, onion and celery and grate the carrots. Mix cabbage, carrots, onions and celery in a large bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a heat resistant bowl or small saucepan. Mix and simmer until bubbly and the sugar is dissolved and then quickly pour over the salad and stir. Coleslaw will stay in the refrigerator for several days.

Parsley and Mint Dog Breath Cookies

Posted by Pussycat in Doggie Treats - Recipes | Leave a comment

14February2016

It’s Valentine’s Day and our celebration this year is to relax, have a great dinner with good steak, seafood and roasted veggies and to binge watch Breaking Bad. We’ve been on holidays and spent a beautiful week out in Falcon Lake. Though the weather was cold we did manage to snowshoe and hike every day. There is something so magical about spending time out in the Canadian Shield, especially in the winter when it’s so quiet… yes… you hear the odd blaring of the snowmobile but during the week it’s quite peaceful. The trails are beautiful and it’s so nice to be away from television and phones and the guilt of all the things you should be doing and just revolve your time around spending as much of it as possible outdoors… catering to your biggest concern… what to eat.

We came back early because we finally made the appointment to have Brax fixed. 🙁 Not that there was ever really a decision to be made about having it done, just about deciding when to have it done. Since he’s such a big dog my internet research and our vet thought it was best to wait as long as possible to have him neutered only so that he could have his full hormone compliment for as long as possible for his growth. One of the things that the internet and vets don’t really talk much about is the propensity of disdain of neutered dogs towards non-neutered dogs. It seems dogs can tell whether others are fixed or not and so many other things just from sniffing.

Having not been fixed Brax would sometimes be seen as a threat by other dogs at the dog park and they would growl and snap at him… this wasn’t so much the problem… Brax being almost 90 lbs he’s fine to stand his own ground…. the issue becomes when he has had enough of their pestering and snaps back. Brax could definitely do more damage than most just given his sheer size and you have to know that any aggressive behaviour would most definitely be blamed on his hormones and not the punk that was pestering him… not an ideology to which we want to contribute.

I wish I could say that I’m not one to cave to convention and wish I’d had a little more backbone about this, at least for a little while. But I will admit I LOVE the DOGPARK! It makes my life so easy and his so much more fun. Having a restless preteen shepherd who is pretty smart is challenging when you lose one of your main outlets for burning off energy… It’s a challenge to keep him entertained for any length of time nevermind in a way that tires him out the way playing and running with other dogs at the park does and we both miss it. I know some folks aren’t so crazy about all the dogs at the park and the perceived lack of control but we love it. Brax has learned pretty quickly to stay away from the growly dogs, he doesn’t much concern himself with the dogs that don’t seem to be on the same page or don’t want to play the way he does and generally manages to find another dog or two that love to play the way he does. He has socialized well and we have both made some good friends on the trails. Staying away from the dog park since his hormones have been kicking in has been a struggle.

So… Happy Valentine’s Day my furry pooch….just a few more days of recovery and we’ll be back at the park… In the meantime here are some breath mint cookies to help pass the time we have for the next few days in closed quarters….

Parsley and Mint Dog Breath Cookies

1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
1 Cup Chick Pea Flour
1 Cup Coconut Flour
3 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
A bunch fresh chopped mint
1/4 – 1/2 Cup Water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Blend the eggs and coconut oil in a food processor or bullet (eggs including the shells) and add the mixture into the dry ingredients. Add enough water to make a sticky dough and let it sit for a few minutes. Add in the chopped herbs mix well. The dough should hold together but it won’t act like dough you’re used to if you bake regular cookies, it remains pretty sticky and pasty.

Roll out the dough and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, until crunchy. These can be stored in a plastic bag in the freeze for up to a month.

Calzones

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes | 1 Comment

7February2016

Yum

Calzone… Stromboli… pizza pop…… I know this dish to go by many names. Though each are different the essence of them remains similar… pizza in hand held form and easy to move from freezer to oven to plate to mouth. I remember loving Pizza Pops as a kid… as an adult I’m prepared to make my own from scratch and want more meat, more cheese, more spice and actually more everything from these perfect make ahead meals.

I had wanted to make these for a while and I finally got around to it, making a few extra to stash in the freezer for those days when time is short and the comfort craving is hard to manage. I have to admit that it was a bit of a challenge to make these in a size that fits in the hand and they ended up being quite a bit larger than I had anticipated. One is more than enough to fulfill a meal and I suspect almost equivalent to a personal pizza.

I started these with a homemade sauce that came from combining some scratch tomato paste I had from leftover tomatoes this summer; adding a small jar of slow roasted tomatoes I also had canned in the fall and infusing it with more flavour by adding fresh garlic, salt, pepper and some fresh oregano I have growing under a lamp for the winter, mixing and heating it all together in a pan. You certainly do not have to go to these lengths and I probably wouldn’t have but I had these things handy in the cupboard…. and I didn’t have pizza sauce.

The dough recipe I used was the 2 ingredient pizza dough I posted previously. I found that 1 cup to 1cup ratio made 8 good sized calzones. Depending on how thick or thin you make the dough this amount could change but I would caution against making the dough too thin, which is the way we like it, though not the best plan for these to be able to hold everything together well.

Fill these with your favourite ingredients and bake for 20 minutes (until golden brown) and serve or vacuum seal and freeze for later use.

I made two kinds:

Bacon, pepperoni, caramelized onions and cheese for P’s and pepperoni, bison Italian sausage, caramelized onions, green peppers, mushroom and habanera cheese for mine…. There was a lot to fill these and I found the best way to distinguish which were which was to slit the tops twice for one variation and 3 times for the other. Also it helps that P’s have mozzarella which is white (and sprinkled some on top) and mine have cheddar which is orange.

These are a winner and so nice to have around when pressed for time. I say the next time the weather is crappy spend some time making these for when it’s nice out and you don’t want to spend time making dinner.

Calzones

1 Dough recipe

Home made Pizza Sauce

1/4 tomato paste
1/2 slow roasted tomatoes
1 large garlic clove
2 – 3 sprigs of oregano
pinch of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and sauté for 5 minutes and allow to cool before placing on pizza dough.

Divide the dough recipe into 8 and roll each out into a 8 to 10 inch circle. Fill have with all your favourite pizza toppings and fold over and seal. Brush the top with egg white and place on parchment to bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Bake until lightly golden if you want to freeze and store so you can bake them again to bring them to a nice golden brown. Or… bake until nicely browned and enjoy straight from the oven.