Sticky Buns

Thank you Cook's Illustrated for making my first foray into sticky bun making a wildly successful one!

Sticky Buns
Sllightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated May/June 2016
Flour Paste
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. bread flour

Dough
2/3 c. milk
1 large egg + 1 yolk
430g bread flour
1 packet instant yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Topping
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. white corn syrup (dark is fine, I just didn't have any on hand)
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp. water
1 c. pecans, chopped (ideally toasted as well, but I didn't have time)

Filling
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Flour paste: Whisk water and flour together in a small bowl. Microwave, whisking every 25 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency. (Mine seemed done after 25 seconds, but I think I should give it a little more cooking next time. Maybe two rounds at 20 seconds each rather than one at 25.)
2. Dough: In a large bowl, whisk milk and paste together until smooth.
3. Add egg and egg yolk. Whisk.
4. Add flour and yeast. Mix for a few minutes until flour is moistened. Let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Add sugar and salt. Mix for several more minutes. (I added another couple Tbsp. of water at this point because I thought the dough looked too try, but in hindsight I should've just left well enough alone.)
6. Add butter and mix for another 5-10 minutes.
7. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Turn into greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise (~1 hour).
8. While dough rises, grease a metal 9x13 pan (I used 1 square 8x8 + a loaf pan. Buns in the 8x8 were fine, but the loaf pan didn't work so well.) Pan must be metal, don't use glass!
9. Topping: Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt together until smooth.
10. Add water and whisk until incorporated. Pour mixture into greased pan and sprinkle evenly with pecans.
11. Filling: Combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
12. Back to the Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface and press/stretch into a 18x15" rectangle.
13. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1" border. Gently press to adhere.
14. Gently roll dough into a long, loose cylinder. (ie. start rolling on a long edge to make an 18" long cylonder.)
15. Use dental floss to slice into 12 equal portions.
16. Place buns in prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for another hour or so.
17. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. (Place a baking sheet on the oven rack below the buns during baking to catch the inevitable drips.)
18. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
19. Place baking sheet over pan and invert. Allow buns to cool for a further 10 minutes before serving.

These were absolutely perfect. Couldn't ask for a better sticky bun. They don't need any tweaks or changes. That said, just because I'm curious, I might try making one slight change next time just to see how it works: I want to see what happens if I skip chopping the nuts and just line the bottom of the pan with whole pecan halves and then pour the sticky topping over that before adding the buns to the pan. I doubt it will actually be an improvement but, as I said, I'm curious so I'd like to try it.

Beef in Adobo

We usually keep a few tins of chilis in adobo on hand, for a warm, smoky sauce that emphasizes the flavour rather than the heat of the chilis. This recipe, however, makes the adobo from scratch.

And it's amazing.

The original recipe calls for ancho and pasilla chilis, and flank steak; we had none of these, and replaced them with guajillo and california chilis and stewing beef, respectively. There is nothing to complain about the results, and the beef comes out deliciously tender.

As accompaniments and toppings, it suggests flour tortillas or rice and queso fresco or feta. We used brown rice, tortillas, and cheddar cheese.

Adobo Ingredients

• 1½ oz dried ancho or guajilla chilis, stemmed and seeded
• 1 oz dried pasilla or california chilis, stemmed and seeded
• ¾ C salsa verde
• ¾ C chicken broth
• ½ C orange juice
• ⅓ C packed brown sugar
• ¼ C lime juice (~2 limes)
• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Beef Ingredients

• 3 lbs stewing beef
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• an entire garlic bulb, minced (no, that is not a typo)
• 1½ tbsp cumin, ground

Procedure

1. Adjust oven rack to middle-bottom and preheat to 350°F. Arrange anchos and pasillas on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant, ~5 minutes.
2. Immediately transfer chilis to bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let stand until softened and pliable, ~5 minutes. Drain (or reserve! Halfway through making this, we realized that we should have saved the delicious chili-water water to make the chicken broth with. Sadly, the original recipe doesn't suggest this).
3. Combine chilis, salsa verde, chicken broth, orange and lime juices, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper, and puree in blender until smooth, ~1 minute. Set aside (but taste the blender blades first).
4. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
5. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook beef until browned all over, ~10 minutes -- you may need to do two batches, there's a lot of beef. Remove beef using slotted spoon and buffer.
6. Add onion and ½ tsp salt to pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3-5 minutes.
7. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds.
8. Stir in adobo, beef, and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer.
9. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 90 minutes.
10. > put beef in face

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

We made this ages ago, but it was really tasty and we don't want to lose the recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• ½ C dry white wine
• ¼ C all-purpose flour
• 1¾ C chicken broth
• 1 C heavy cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 (2½ lb) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 15 ritz crackers, crushed coarsely

Procedure

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat to 350°F.
2. Melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add mushrooms, onion, thyme, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown, ~5-7 minutes.
3. Add white wine and cook until evaporated, ~3 minutes.
4. Stir in flour until vegetables are well coated. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Stir in broth and cream, scraping up any brown bits, and cook until slightly thickened, ~3 minutes.
6. Stir in cream cheese and cook until melted, ~2 minutes.
7. Stir in chicken and 1 tbsp poppy seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to 8" baking dish.
8. Microwave remaining 2 tbsp butter until melted. Add crackers and remaining 1 tbsp poppy seeds and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly over chicken mixture.
9. Bake until golden brown and filling is bubbling around the edges, ~15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Spicy Pinto Beans

Another Cook's Country 30-minute recipe card. As written it calls for two tins of pinto beans; we didn't have any, so we went with one tin of black beans and one of refried pinto beans. It was easy to put together and really tasty.

Ingredients

• 4 (6-8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise and/or pounded flat
• ½ C sour cream
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 large tin black beans
• 1 tin refried pinto beans with jalapeno
• 1 C medium salsa
• ½ minced fresh cilantro

Procedure

1. Whisk together sour cream, lime juice, cayenne, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove to plate.
4. Add whole beans and cook until they begin to blister, ~2 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa, refried beans, ¼ tsp salt, and ¾ C water. Mash beans lightly with a potato masher and simmer until slightly thickened, ~4 minutes.
6. Stir in cilantro and sour cream and lime mixture and return chicken to skillet until heated through. Serve.

One-Pan Sweet Potato Chorizo Dinner

The original recipe calls for cooking chicken thighs and serving them with a potato-chorizo mixture. I swapped out the potatoes for sweet potatoes and although I did keep the chicken in, I wouldn't bother with it next time. It was extra time and expense to cook and didn't really add anything to the meal.

Sweet Potato Chorizo Dinner
Adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
2 Tbsp. ghee
1 1/2-2 lbs. sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks
100-150g chorizo sausage, halved and sliced thin
250g baby spinach
smoked paprika
salt and pepper

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes and cook, covered, until lightly browned (~5 minutes).
2. Add chorizo and cook, uncovered until potatoes are tender (~5 minutes).
3. Add spinach and cook until just wilted (~2 minutes).
4. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.

I might throw a chopped onion in the pan a few minutes before I add the sweet potatoes next time. I think that would be tasty. Especially if I had any red onions on hand!

Brunswick Stew

I was initially somewhat dubious, but this was really good! I do want to try tweaking the recipe a bit next time, but it's definitely worth making again.

Brunswick Stew
Slightly Adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3/4 c. ketchup
4 c. water
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb. russet potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks
250g kielbasa, sliced and quartered
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz.) tin diced tomatoes
1/2 c. trimmed green beans
1/2 c. frozen corn

1. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened.
2. Add ketchup and 1/4 c. water and cook until fond begins to form and mixture has thickened (~6 minutes).
3. Add chicken, potatoes, kielbasa, vinegar, 1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining 3 3/4 c. water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender (30 minutes).
5. Transfer chicken to plate and allow to cool slightly. Shred with 2 forks and return to pot.
6. Add tomatoes, beans, and corn and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tsp. (1/2 Tbsp.) Worcestershire sauce.
8. Serve with crusty bread and soft butter.

I'm really pleased wiht how this came out. I think next time I'd just add a bit more veg and pepper flakes to give it some more kick.

Brunswick Stew (Now with More Vegetables!)
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3/4 c. ketchup
4 c. water
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb. russet potatoes
250g-350g kielbasa, sliced and quartered
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 c. trimmed green beans
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. zucchini slices (optional)
100g baby spinach (optional)

Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Chickpeas

I loved the lemoniness of this. Would definitely cut the fennel smaller next time though. The "wedges that don't fall apart" proved quite awkward to eat.

Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Chickpeas
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, cut into wedges (would core and slice next time)
3 Tbsp. garlic paste
juice of 1 lemon + 2 tsp. zest
1 1/2 tsp. coriander, ground (or 1 tsp. ground coriander)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 (15 oz.) tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 c. large, pitted, brine-cured green olives, cut in half
~2 c. broth (I used a mix of chicken and vegetable)
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 baguette, sliced

1. Season chicken with 1 tsp. salt and pepper. (Next time I might add a little cayenne as well.)
2. Heat oil in ovensafe skillet (we had to use a pot) over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until well-browned on one side (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, covered, until browned (3-5 minutes per side.)
4. Add garlic, lemon zest, coriander, and pepper flakes and cook, uncovered until fragrant (~1 minute).
5. Stir in wine. Cook until almost evaporated (2 minutes).
6. Stir in olives, broth, lemon juice, honey, and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken into liquid.
7. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 175F (~15 minutes).
8. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with baguette slices.

Beef Lombardi

I'll start right off by saying that this was perfectly fine, but it definitely didn't wow me. It wasn't overly difficult to put together, but I think I'd rather put the ingredients and effort into other things all the same. It was alright, but just not good enough for me to really be excited about making again.

Beef Lombardi
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with red chiles
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chili seasonings
340g wide egg noodles (I like "No Yolks" best)
1 1/4 c. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. corn starch (I just realized that I totally forgot the corn starch in mine!)
6 scallions, sliced thin
230g Montery Jack cheese, shredded

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.
2. Add beef, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper and cook until beef is done.
3. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Meanwhile, bring ~4L water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp. salt and noodles. Cook for 2 minutes. Reserve 2 c. cooking water and drain noodles.
6. Combine sour cream, cream cheese, cornstarch, and 1/2 c. water in the empty pasta pot. Whisk until smooth.
7. Stir in scallions, noodles, remaining 1 1/2 c. cooking water, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
8. Spread noodle mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13" baking dish (ours is a bit on the shallow side so we actually ended up using a roast pan).
9. Spread beef mixture on top of noodle mixture.
10. Sprinkle grated cheese over the beef and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

If I do ever try this one again, I think I'd try adding a bell pepper or two to the beef mixture. And I feel like the noodle mixture might benefit from some additional flavour: maybe a little bit of vegetable broth and/or some Worcestershire sauce. I'm not sure. Peas might also be a nice touch to make this feel a little more vegetably and balanced. And I would probably just use plain diced tomatoes next time and then toss in a few chile flakes and/or a minced chipotle in adobo to bring the heat. Apparently the original recipe calls for tomatoes and chiles separately but the folks over at the Test Kitchen deiced to replace two ingredients with one. The problem is that I can't find the same brand that they used here and the tomatoes and chiles that I got just didn't seem to have much kick or flavour to them.

Bottom Round Roast Beef

A very simple roast with a butter-based sauce.

Bottom Round Roast Beef
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
1 (4lb.) boneless beef bottom round roast
2 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. canola oil

1. Pat roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
2. Combine 1/2 tsp. salt, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns and grind in spice grinder.
3. Pat roast dry again and brush with canola oil. Sprinkle with herb mixture.
4. Bake at 250F for ~2 hours or until internal temperature reads 135F.
5. Turn off oven and allow roast to stand in hot oven (without opening door) for another 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to stand for a further few minutes then slice thin against the grain. Serve with zip-style sauce.

Zip-Style Sauce
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a small pot over medium heat, whisking constantly. Sauce is done once it comes to a simmer.
2. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Basque Green Beans

This one is from a couple weeks ago, but I didn't get a chance to write it up at the time. It was really good though and the toddle bot absolutely loved the beans, so I wanted to make sure it didn't get lost or forgotten.

Basque Green Beans
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2016
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 onion, sliced thin
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 1/2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
1/4 c. water
1 (14oz.) tin diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. cane vinegar (use sherry vinegar if available)

1. Cook bacon until crispy.
2. Add onion, bell peppers, 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add beans, water, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook until slightly thickened (~5 minutes).
6. Stir in vinegar and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

I served this alongside a bottom round roast (from the same magazine). Very nice combo!