Vox Hunt: This Is What’s Cookin’

Show us what’s cookin’.
Submitted by Chance.

My chance to redeem myself on the VoxHunt. A few of our dinners this week.

Fettuccine with chicken & beans in a caramelized-onion cream sauce.Before The Fettuccine

  • caramelize onions in pan w/ 1.5 T sugar
  • add leftover chicken and heat through.
  • in another pot, cook your fettuccine (penne works too)
  • deglaze w/ a good white wine (or stock, apple juice, balsamic vinegar)
  • add 2/3c of liquid (again wine, stock, juice, or water)
  • add beans
  • season w/ s&p, tarragon (or basil).
  • add 1/2c of milk (or cream)
  • drain pasta and add to pan
  • toss pasta in sauce to finish.

 

Eggnog Apple Fritters

this is the easy fritter approach, not the whipped eggwhites approach – measurements are approximate… very approximate!Frittering Away My Time

  • beat 1 egg
  • beat in 2/3c egg nog [*]
  • add 1T sugar, 1/2t salt, 1-3T rum
  • add 1c of flour to produce a smooth batter
  • let batter rest in the fridge for 15minutes-24hours.
  • heat 2-3″ of oil in a wok to med-hot.
  • core, peel and chunk up apples – some people like rings, some slices, some chunks. Uniform slices of about 1/4″ work best for me.
  • dip apple pieces one at a time & slide into the oil [**]
  • Cook 5-7 slices at a time.
  • cook one side ’til brown & flip over to cook the other side
  • remove and let rest on paper towel before serving.

serve w/ powdered sugar, powdered cinnamon sugar or (Ger’s fav.) maple syrup.

  • Expect the first batch of 5-6 fritters to be underdone or overdone as you adjust your tempature.  Make sure you have enough apples so no one has to go fritterless.
  • [*] No egg nog?  Substitute the eggnog with 1 egg & 2/3c milk.
  • [**] Boring eggnog?  Add a little vanilla and/or cinnamon
  • [**] Don’t over crowd the pan or the temperature of the oil will drop
  • not crisp enough? The oil needs to be hotter
  • browning REALLY fast? The oil needs to be cooler.

 

Friday Night Pizza

Friday Night

Now the temperature is dropping again, we use the oven for pizza instead of the bbq. (Reclaiming some of the heat for the house.)
Pizza Dough

  • to 1.5c very warm water add 2t honey & sprinkle yeast over top (1 package or about 1-2t I think, I don’t measure I just sprinkle)
  • let it stand for 2-3 minutes to proof [***] until the yeast/water mix is cloudy, or bubbling
  • add 1/2t salt and flour to make a wet dough
  • kneed for at least 100 turns [*****] .
  • Keep the dough as moist as you can while kneeding.  You want a soft, moist and springy dough. But honestly as long as it’s smooth, it’ll probably work.
  • Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes while you finish prepping the toppings.
  • top
  • Cook in really HOT oven for 13 minutes, or until the cheese bubbles.
  • Let the pizza rest 5 minutes before slicing and eating.

We turn the oven up as high as it will go and use the unfinished side
of a big ceramic tile as our pizza stone.  It works better than a round
one because we get more space in the oven.  Besides, who can make that
dough round? Argh.

[***] The proofing stage really isn’t necessary, I have mixed the yeast dry into the dough when I’ve forgotten in the past. But it generally works better. Besides you have plenty of time while you are prepping toppings.

[****] Want a seasoned dough?  Add caraway or basil or dried garlic or any herb or spice combo you want.
[*****] 100 turns will work in the flour, get those glutens working… work out your frustrations of the day, don’t worry the dough won’t tell.

Alexa Clark

Alexa is a digital marketer and author with over 20 years in digital & interactive communications in the food and tech industries. Alexa's CheapEats Restaurant Guides, for both Toronto & Ottawa, were Canadian best sellers. She is a recognized authority on social media and has been named one of Canada's 20 Leading Women in Social Media.

2 thoughts on “Vox Hunt: This Is What’s Cookin’

  • November 11, 2006 at 4:09 pm
    Permalink

    Mmmm.. that pizza looks tasty! 

    Reply
  • November 12, 2006 at 1:10 pm
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    OMG I am so going to try the chicken dish. Thanks Lex.

    Reply

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