Wontons

Light, Healthy and fun to make. I thought I'd try making these with cooked meat instead of raw and found that the raw is much easier to work with and doesnt change the flavour of the finished product at all. This a dish that my mom has always made. I guess you could say "Her signature dish". If you knew her, you'd know how weird that is.


1-2 packages wonton wrappers
3 cups ground pork(Cooked or raw-Raw is easier to work with)
1 cup diced prawn or shrimp(Raw)
1/4 cup green onions
1 T. grated fresh ginger
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil

-Mix ingredients together in large mixing bowl.
-Take one wrapper at a time and place 1 t. filling in center.
-Wet 2 edges with water and fold to make triangle. Pushing air out of pocket.
-Fold the two corners together in center. Should look like an open envelope.
-At this point you can put in zip lock bags and freeze. Or boil in water until they float to the top for wonton soup. Or deep fry until golden brown.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Wonton Soup

-My Wonton Recipe
-Chicken broth or chicken soup base
-Chopped brocolli
-Chopped carrots
-Chopped Cauliflower
-Chopped green onion
-Rice Noodles(Optional)

Boil Wontons in water until they float to the top. In a separate pot heat chicken stock or chicken soup base until boil. Add wontons. Add brocolli, cauliflower and carrots about 5 minutes before ready to serve so they stay crisp. Garnish with green onion.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Pare's Cornmeal Pizza Dough

I have tried many pizza dough recipes. This one was given to me by my cousin-and everytime I try a new recipe-I wished I would have made this one. It's super quick and easy to make. It makes 4 individual sized pizzas. The crust is very thin and can be very crispy depending on how long you cook it for. On one pizza... we put hot peppers, bacon, asiago and mozza with regular canned pizza sauce. The other has tons of green onion, thinly sliced roma tomatoes, asiago and mozza. They were both very tasty. Because they are so thin you worry they will burn easily, but 7 minutes on the lower rack in a 500 degree oven was a little too short. I personally should have left them in for another 2-3 minutes because I like these little pizzas to have a crispiness to them. They were still delicious at 7 minutes though. Make them and let me know what you think. If it weren't already my cousins signature dish, I would make it mine. But our babies will probably hang out together and then things will get confusing. ;)



2/3 cup warm water
2 1/4 t. quick rise yeast or one individual package
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal (plus more for rolling and pan)
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
2 T. oil(I used extra virgin olive oil)

-Preheat to 500
-In a mall bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water. Let dissolve about 5-10 minutes.
-Combine flour, cornmeal and salt, make well.
-Add yeast mixture and oil.
-Mix with fork until dough comes together-forms a ball.
-Knead for 7-10 minutes. Keep adding flour if dough is too sticky. Roll in cornmeal once or twice while kneading.
-Cut into for balls. Roll in oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for at least 15 minutes, but one hour better.
-oil baking sheet, sprinkle with cornmeal.
-Spread dough out with fingers until thin but not translucent.
-Spread sauce and toppings.
-Bake on lower rack for 7-10 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.


Source: Pare Bear




Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mediterranean Linguini

I was trying to copy a pasta that my boyfriend loves to eat at a restaurant down the road. It was a nice, easy and light pasta to make... but in my opinon...wasn't a total success. He ate it anyway. He said it was really good. I looked at him sideways. Not because he had oil all over his mouth and chin...but because it wasn't nearly as good as the real thing.

Make sure you add lots of the sundried tomatoe olive oil(I used the oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes I had in the fridge, but you can buy sundried tomatoe olive oil or make your own.) and lots of the 2 cheeses as my pasta was quite bland until we added more. The roasted red peppers were jarred. And I roasted the grape tomatoes in the oven while I waited for the linguini to boil and chicken to cook. Next time I might add actual chopped sundreid tomatoes too. I will make it again. Probably more suitable for a lunch menu. Served with a softish garlic bread (Baked in tin foil for 30 minutes).




Pan fried chicken
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Kalamata olives
Roasted red peppers
Roasted grape tomatoes
Linguini noodles
Sundried tomatoe olive oil

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken Pot Pockets

This is a great "To-Go" recipe. You can heat these pockets up and eat them on your way out the door. Very delicious. I'm not sure if it's because I'm pregnant...but the smell of the boiling chicken pulls this recipe out of the running for "The Signature Dish".
WHEN I make this again, I will add more vegetables and some fresh groung pepper. I will also make an actual pie, rather than pockets because I think it would save time. The pockets are extremely clever though, and the cream cheese pastry just proves that Lucinda is a genius.




Cream Cheese Pastry:

8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling:

1 whole chicken(I used a 3 pound chicken and still had lots of shredded chicken and broth left over to freeze for next time)
2 T. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/2 t. coarse salt
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth(from reduced poaching liquid)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Place chicken in a pot, add water to barely civer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.
-Skim and discard any foam that arises to the surface. Remove chicken to cool.
-Continue to boil broth to reduce and concentrate to about half. Remove meat from chicken.
-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375. Butter a baking sheet.
-Rool out dough, cut 5 inch circles. Wet the edges of the dough with water.
-Place 1/4 cup filling on the circle and fold dough over to form half circle. (I could only fit a T. of filling in mine)
-Crimp edges with fork. Poke the pocket top twice with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush pockets.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

Flaky Buttery Biscuits

Lucinda says that these are the epitome of a cozy breakfast or great for dinner with fried chicken. Slather with butter or jam.
In my experience...they are almost easier than making toast or garlic bread, and much more impressive.













1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. coarse salt
6 T. chilled unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk

Preheat Oven 45o

-Butter or line baking sheet
-in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Using fork, combine butter and flour mixture until resemble coarse meal. Slowly add milk, stirring with fork to desired consistency.
-Drop 2 T. of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

(For firmer less cakier bisuits add less milk and roll out dough, cut with biscuit cutter or rim of glass)

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell

Apple Pie

I don't like apple pie, but if I had to eat an apple pie...this would be the one I'd eat.


350 degrees

Basic Pie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. coarse salt
1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup very cold milk or water

-In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter pieces and mash with fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour milk. Combine until the dough just holds together in a ball.

-Cut ball of dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic. Refridgerate for at least 15 minutes. Handle dough as little as required. Ready to roll out.

Apple pie filling:
2 T. lemon juice
8 apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 t. all-spice (Revised by me)
1 T. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1 T. milk

Peel, quarter, core and thinly slice apples. Put into lemon juice to prevent browning. Add Sugar, flour and spice. Toss to coat. Pile into pie plate lined with dough. Dot with butter. Lay second piece of dough on top. Curl edges under. Close with fingers or fork. Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process. Beat milk with egg yolk. Brush on top. Bake pie on center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least one hour.

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell