Category: House Made

From standards to radical departures, homemade is always best

Muriel’s Baklava


This is a seriously cool treat, no pun intended…

I am fortunate to be friends with Muriel Anderson on Facebook. As a guitarist and guitar maker, I’ve known of Muriel for a long time now. If you’ve not heard of her, (And I know all my music friends have!), She’s arguably among the royalty of guitarist/composers this county has produced.

Muriel’s Music For Life Alliance is focused on making music learning accessible to young people who may not otherwise be able to experience the educational, psychological, and social benefits thereof. She’s released CDs, videos and books, as well as orchestral and choral works.

And as fate would have it, she cooks pretty well, too! (Check out more of her recipes on her website)

She was kind enough to share a particularly mouthwatering Baklava recipe with us; here it is for y’all to try.

Muriel is playing this Saturday, March 9, at 8:00pm in Maryville, Tennessee. If you’re lucky enough to be able to attend, you’ll get your very own hunk of this recipe, with East Tennessee honey, handmade by Muriel! The concert will be held at the Palace Theater 113 W Broadway. Tickets and info: 865-983-3330

Ingredients

1 package phyllo dough (you can even get organic phyllo dough now)
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 stick butter (melted) *see note
chopped fresh walnuts
finely chopped sunflower seeds
chopped pistachios, (Leave some whole to sprinkle on top)
about 2 cups (1 med size jar) local honey
half lemon, squeezed
Optional: a couple teaspoons of rum

*(Don’t use margarine with hydrogenated vegetable oil – research by Dr John Hibbeln shows that hydrogenated vegetable oil raises cholesterol and can cause/increase depression by preventing absorption of omega-3’s)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees and place a pan of water on the bottom rack.

In a glass baking pan, layer melted butter (on bottom of pan), then phyllo, then melted butter between each layer, repeating about 5 times.

Makes sure you always keep the unused portion of the phyllo covered with a slightly damp cloth.

Now add three layers of chopped walnuts lightly sprinkled with cinnamon, then add another phyllo – melted butter – phyllo layer.

Next comes one layer of chopped seeds with lightly sprinkled cinnamon, followed again by the phyllo – melted butter – phyllo.

Add another layer or two of walnuts, followed by a top layer or two of pistachios.

Top with another 4 or 5 layers of phyllo and butter to finish.

(top and bottom layer have the five layers of phyllo, while the middle layers have only a couple each)

A final topping of a little more melted butter with pistachios is fine if you like.

Cut with a large knife diagonally to form diamond or triangle shaped pieces.

Bake about 20 minutes and check; you’re looking for a nice, deep golden brown color, which is likely to be closer to 30 min, but DO start checking at 20!

Over low heat combine honey, lemon juice and, if desired, a dash of rum and stir constantly until runny.

Remove baklava from oven and pour the honey mixture over it.

Wait for it to cool a little while if you can, and remove pieces with spatula.

BIG Thanks to Muriel – Go out and see her and buy her discs and a book or two – Enjoy!

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The Tzatziki of the Lambs


We did a show for the boys recently, the idea being for the male of the species to somehow convince the female to cook for him. Now if that works…

The Greek wanted something Greek of course, so I suggested a nice roasted leg of lamb with Tzatziki, so we’ll cover that here.

If you’ve never had Tzatziki sauce before, you’ve got a real treat in store. Tzatziki is, hands down, one of the finest uses for cucumber. In Greek cooking it’s often served with lamb as we suggest, but I’m here to tell y’all that Tzatziki is excellent on eggs, fantastic on flat bread, pleasant on poultry, and beautiful on burgers; in other words, like hot sauce, it’s good on durn near everything!

Whip up a batch and enjoy!

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Classic Tzatziki Sauce

1 8 oz container of Greek Yogurt, (You can use regular too)
1 med cucumber
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 fresh lemon
1 teaspoon Dill, (You can also use mint)
2 cloves Garlic
Salt to taste

Line a colander or strainer with paper towel and drain your yogurt for around 30 minutes, (Critical step to avoid runny Tzatziki, and even more so if you’re not using Greek yoghurt).

Peel, seed and grate the cucumber.

Juice the lemon and reserve.

Do a fine chiffenade on the dill or mint.

Peel and mince the garlic.

Combine everything in a non-reactive bowl and mix well by hand, (Blending or processing makes your yogurt break down).
Refrigerate covered for 2 to 3 hours.
Serve chilled

Real Deal Greek Roast Leg of Lamb

Disclaimer; I’m Scots, Welsh, and Dutch, and M carries German and Norse blood. We’ll lay claim to this being a genuine interpretation of a classic by way of the truly born and raised Greek cooks who we kind enough to share their passion.

A fair number of folks in this country don’t care for lamb because they find it gamey. It can be, but we’re here to say that the rest of the meat eating world can’t be all wrong. Great lamb comes from choosing good meat, to proper preparation and cooking, and that’s what we’ll relate here.

My Greek pals will tell you that lamb is always cooked to well done, a key consideration in avoiding funky, off-putting flavors.

Be sure to trim the lions share of the fat prior to roasting as well. This recipe will provide a fine feast for 6 to 8.

5 lbs bone-in leg of lamb
16 – 24 small new potatoes, (Variety of your choice, or mix and match)
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 cloves garlic
Zest of two lemons, grated
2 tablespoons Oregano
2 tablespoons Rosemary
1/2 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
1 cup dry Red Wine
3/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
salt and Pepper to taste

Wash the lamb thoroughly and pat dry with paper towel

Peel and dice 8 cloves of the garlic and toss them into a non-reactive bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients.

Add 4 teaspoons each of oregano and rosemary, a 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the wine, and the lemon zest and juice.

Place lamb in the bowl, rubbing it in and turning to coat well on all sides; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Crush remaining cloves of garlic and combine with the mustard and the rest of the oregano and rosemary.

Remove lamb from marinade and reserve all the marinade.

With the tip of a paring knife, poke a bunch of holes into the lamb on all surfaces.

Hand rub the garlic-herb-mustard mixture thoroughly over the lamb, pressing into incisions as much as you can.

Gently coat the lamb with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place the lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Toss potatoes in the reserved marinade from the lamb with 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil added; coat thoroughly. Pour everything into the roasting pan, all around the lamb.

Roast uncovered for 90 minutes, then turn the lamb so that it develops a nice crust on both sides. Toss the potatoes to recoat them with the marinade as well. Roast for another 45 minutes, (total roasting time – 2 hours and 15 minutes).

And as our Greek pals insist, serve nice and hot, with plenty of fresh, crusty bread, a big ol’ salad of onions, peppers, tomatoes and olives in vinaigrette, and plenty of red wine.

εύγευστος! (Delicious!), right Greek?

Enjoy!

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Quick and Easy


So, you’re on our way home and your mate calls, says, “What are we doing for dinner?”

You blink a couple times, “Uhhhhhhhhh…”

Sure, you could slurp soup from a can, slap together a sandwich, sling a salad, but…
Why not take a minute and build something good, semi-homemade, fast and easy?

A quick stop at Trader Joe’s for pizza dough, pineapple, Italian sausage, and fresh mozzarella, you’re good to go – The rest should be at home in a decent pantry, meaning you should have canned tomatoes, (Any style will work; always cruise that aisle and pick up a can or two when they’re on sale – Same with beans, etc), fresh garlic, dried or fresh herbs, good oil and vinegar.

This super simple recipe takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes of prep time.

Casa Calzone

Fast Pizza/Calzone/Pasta sauce:

1 22 ounce tomatoes
1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
2 cloves fresh Garlic
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Basil
1 Tablespoon extra virgin Olive Oil
Dash Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to Taste

In a glass or stainless bowl, blend or motorboat tomatoes to an even consistency. Crush or mince garlic, add tot tomatoes along with all other ingredients, blend thoroughly. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. You may simmer your sauce for 15 to 20 minutes for a more focused flavor note, but it’s not necessary for great results.

Fillings:
Whatever you like! Go simple for the sake of speed and ease of prep; two or three major notes is plenty and delicious. Leftover chicken, pork, beef. If you do something fresh like our sausage, then saute until cooked roughly 3/4 through and set aside.

Just fresh veggies are wonderful too; you can do them straight away, sauteed lightly, or roasted prior to filling; each little change will yield a unique and lovely taste.

We went with classics:
Ham & Pineapple
Italian Sausage & Roasted Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 475 F. and place a rack in the upper-middle position.

Roll pizza dough out to a circle or square; dough should be roughly 1/8″ thick. Transfer carefully to a baking sheet or pizza stone.

Spread an even layer of sauce roughly 1/2″ thick over half the dough, then add generous amounts cheese and toppings. Lightly wet the edge of the uncovered dough with a little water.
Gently fold the dough over to completely cover, and seal the edge by rolling it back on itself a couple of turns while pressing together.

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Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes prior to cutting and serving.

Garnish with grated hard cheese, fresh herbs, or good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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Toast a job well done!

Holiday Cheers!


By which, we mean of course, something with a wee dram of high octane cheer therein!

The holidays are a time for food, drink and merrymaking. When it comes to the drink part, we believe strongly that something special is warranted. We pull out the stops for meals, so why not do the same for the drinks? Light beer and box wine can wait ‘till after the new year…

Here are some holiday faves, sans commercial pre-packaged, preservative laden ingredient – Nothing says love so much as homemade, right?

Prosecco per le vacanze!
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Our personal contribution to the holiday drink pantheon. Use a nice, dry Prosecco to allow the pear to really pop as a counterpoint.

Nice, dry Prosecco of your choice
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 firm, ripe Bosc pear

Blend sugar with nutmeg.
Core pear and slice into ½” thick sections.
Lightly moisten the top of a champagne flute, then dip and coat the rim with the sugar blend.
Fill with Proseco, notch pear slice so it can slide onto the rim.

Real Eggnog
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Arguably the quintessential holiday beverage. We recommend a good, dark rum like Mount Gay or Myers. Makes enough for 6 servings

2 Cups whole Milk
2 Cups ½ & ½
6 Egg Yolks
1 ½ cups Dark Rum
3 whole Cloves
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
¾ Cup granulated Sugar
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

In a sauce pan over low heat, combine milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. Stir regularly and slowly heat to scalding. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar and whisk by hand until fully incorporated and aerated.

Slowly add the sugar/egg blend to the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring heat to medium and stir constantly until the mix begins to thicken. Don’t let the blend boil, or you’ll end up with a very unappealing custard-like substance…

Strain the mix through a sieve into a glass or stainless bowl and refrigerated, covered for at least an hour.

Remove from fridge, add the rest of the vanilla and the nutmeg and whisk. Add cream, then the rum and whisk thoroughly. Re-cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, (You can keep it overnight as well.) Stir well prior to serving.

Genuine Hot Buttered Rum
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My pop used to make this when I had a nasty cough; just one of the many reasons I love that guy… Use the best quality ice cream you can for a truly rich, creamy treat, and again here, use good, dark Rum. Super easy and makes enough for 4 to 6.

For the Batter:
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Vanilla Ice Cream

In a sauce pan over low heat, melt butter completely; add the sugars and allow to heat through thoroughly, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Place ice cream in a mixing bowl and add the butter/sugar mixture. Whisk by hand until thoroughly incorporated, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer batter to a glass container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving. Batter will be fine for at least a week and up to 30 days if frozen.

For each drink, scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into a mug. Add 1 ½ ounces of dark rum and fill with boiling water. Add a dash of nutmeg to the top and enjoy!

Hot Spiced Wine
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This is an age-old treat for a nasty, cold day, indeed! Super fast to prep and serves 4 to 6. The variable ingredients are for your taste; add as you like and see fit. A nice day-to-day Cabernet, Old Vine Zinfandel, or Burgundy works well for this and, as always, if you wish for good results, don’t use any wine you wouldn’t happily drink unadorned…

1 Bottle decent, hearty Red Wine
1 Orange
¼ to ½ Lemon
1 teaspoon fresh Ginger Root
¼ to ½ Cup Agave Nectar or Honey
2 – 3 sticks whole Cinnamon
6 – 8 Whole Cloves

Peel orange and lemon, slice peels into 1” strips and reserve.

In a stock pot over medium-low heat, add the wine and heat through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the Agave or honey and stir until dissolved.

Squeeze fruit into wine and add the pulp and peels.

Grate ginger and add to pot.

Toss in cinnamon sticks and cloves, cover and bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Strain blend through a sieve, and serve hot!

Mulled Cider
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Nothing makes a house smell better or more like the holidays than this traditional favorite. Find fresh, local unfiltered cider whenever possible! Serves 6 or so.

½ Gallon Apple Cider
1 medium Orange
¼ t o ½ ea. fresh Lemon and Lime
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar or Honey
6 – 8 Whole Cloves
2 – 3 sticks Cinnamon
4 – 6 Tasmanian Pepperberries, (Or Allspice berries)
2 – 3 whole Juniper Berries
1 teaspoon Nutmeg

In a stock pot over medium heat, add cider and allow to heat through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Peel orange, lemon and lime, slice peels into 1” strips and reserve.

Add the Agave or honey to the heated cider and stir until dissolved.

Squeeze fruit into cider and add the pulp and peels.

Add remaining ingredients to the pot; bring cider to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain cider through a sieve and serve piping hot.

From all of us at UrbanMonique, we wish you safe and peaceful Holidays!