Compound Butter

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That new mixer is awesome! There are things I was only able to do at class or at work (more information coming soon).  One thing I like to make in class is compound butter. Take a stick of butter, let it get to room temperature,  then place in mixer and fold in other ingredients to make it more exciting.  You can do this manually but it’s a pain in the butt and the ingredients won’t spread across the butter evenly…….this is why you haven’t seen this on this blog yet. Mixer = game changer!

Equipment:

  • Stand Mixer!
  • Spatula

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter at room temperature
  • Fresh parsley and tarragon
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Whole egg, (optional)
  • Parmesan Cheese (to top on bread)
  • The bread I used is ciabatta, if you’re curious

Procedure

  1. Place butter in mixer then set to a medium mix and cream it.
  2. Slowly add ingredients. At this point you can wrap it in clear wrap and place in the refrigerator or you can apply it directly in something……..steamed vegetables, baked potato, baked bread, etc……
  3. Only add the egg if you are going to place it on bread and bake it. It will add a little fluff to your butter…appearance people!
  4. EAT IT!

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Ciabatta Garlic Bread with a Blood Orange Compound Butter

IMG_2531Ciabatta is a great choice for garlic bread. It holds up to a lot of oil, butter, and will toast nicely.

Equipment:

  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

  • Blood orange zest with a little juice
  • Unsalted soft butter
  • Pink Peppercorn
  • Murray River Pink Salt
  • Fresh Tarragon
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Ciabatta bread

Procedure:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl then place in refrigerator
  2. Spread butter over bread then toast in oven under broiler for a few minutes

Enjoy,

Eric

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Bonus Bread!

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I bought some basil at the market yesterday and I was planning on making some pesto with it but plans changed. My wife wasn’t feeling so hot so I figured a little comfort food would do the trick. I think it worked :)

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes on the vine, you can do this with smaller tomatoes but I’m a little dramatic
Olive Oil
Pinch of kosher salt

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and pour a little olive oil and salt over the top of the tomatoes then bake them for 4 hours at 200F. Remove the tomatoes from the oven then peel the skin off and throw the vines away. Then move to the next steps.

4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 cup fresh basil diced with an additional 6 leaves for garnish
A little fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary
3/4 cup heavy cream
Cheese,            I used a roasted red pepper goat cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the tomatoes and garlic into a blender and liquify. Pour the newly liquified mixture into a sauce pot then bring to a simmer. Place the oregano, thyme, and rosemary in a tea infuser then throw it in the soup.  Once you have a nice simmer going then stir in the basil and heavy cream, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Enjoy,

Eric

BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a small loaf of french bread and cut it in half then chop up a tomato, 1 fresh garlic clove, a couple basil leaves, some diced up onion, and add a little salt and pepper then throw that mixture into a small bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.   Put some bread on that there butter then spread the tomato concoction from the bowl on the bread then place it on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven at 425F for 10 minutes.  Serve it with this soup above……………..

Enjoy,

Eric

Aji Dulce Aioli Garlic Bread

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Keep it simple or something like that.  If you don’t have aji dulce available to you then just use a bell peppers.

Ingredients:

French Bread

10 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. grape seed oil
2 aji dulce pods
Fresh oregano
Crumbled cheese    (I used a raw milk cheese finished with a little lime)

Combine the garlic, oil, pepper, and oregano in a mortar and pestle and grind it out. Pre-heat oven to 350F then place mixture from mortar and pestle over the bread then place crumbled cheese over the top. Cover the bread in foil then bake for 15 minutes.   Serve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy,

Eric

Drool

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Ka-bobs, we call them Pinchos. My mom marinated the chicken pinchos and I marinated the pork pinchos, I’ll post the recipes when I get back. Also,are breadfruit tostones,  Garlic bread with a raw Puerto Rican cheese melted on top, sauteed onions with a little aji dulce mixed in, and some more hummus.  Lots of stuff. It was fun too cook with my mom, dad, and wife.

Eric