Spicy Beef Pasties

Behold the hand pie!!!  Savory or sweet, these are one of my favorite little snacks in the world. These spicy beef pasties were just what the doctor ordered.  Was feeling down in the dumps, so this is what took my mind off the bad news...for a while anyways. These are a labor of love, but in the end they are so rewarding.

Makes about 20 pasties
Dough

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• pinch paprika

Filling

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced 
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound left over roast beef
• salt
• 1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled partially
• 3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup frozen baby sweet peas 
• 1/2 cup of beef gravy (I used home made, but feel free to use a good Knorr pkg).

For the dough:
Heat water and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter has melted. Mix flour, salt, and paprika in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour a little of the warm butter mixture in and stir with fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid and work the dough with your hand until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the filling:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, bell peppers, paprika, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and cumin until onions are soft. Add beef and gravy. Season to taste with salt.  Place filling in a large bowl and when cooled, add potatoes and scallions. Mix to combine.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large baking pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment. Tear off pieces of dough to roll about 20 golf-sized balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough balls on lightly floured surface into 5″ circles. Place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Sprinkle filling lightly with cheese. Fold over and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp with the back of a fork. Place pasties on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

Baby Cakes

I love any kind of cake, period.  These little treats were absolutely yummy.  They are very simple and very addictive.

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp flour cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp sugar
1 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 Tbsp milk

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your tins. I used a really cool individual square cake tin, I bought at the kitchen store for $8.99! You could use whatever works for you.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
6. Divide batter in the prepared pan(s). Bake for 10-15 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan. Pop out and ice them.

My homemade icing:
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp melted butter
enough milk to make the perfect consistency. (If the icing is too runny, simply add more icing sugar).

***I divided the icing up into smaller bowls, and added some food coloring and/or cocoa powder to each. Enjoy with your baby cakes and a tall glass of milk.

Delicious Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 piece  chicken breast- sliced thin
small handful of bean sprouts
precooked vermicelli noodles (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot – julienned
6 button mushroom – slice thinly
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
3 spring onions – cut small
1/2 cup of water
1 egg - beaten
1 packet of spring roll wrappers
1 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp of sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up the frying pan with a tbsp of olive oil. Add in chopped garlic, onions and stir fry until fragrant. Add in chicken. Stir fry for a minute or until it changes color.
2. Add carrots and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes minute and add in all the seasonings and 1/2 cup of water. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Add vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lightly brush it with some vegetable oil.
4. Peel off a piece of wrapper and place it on a flat surface. Place some cooked filling in the center of the wrapper, pull over both ends and roll up the wrapper. Brush the end with some egg to seal.
5. Line all the spring rolls on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the spring roll with some vegetable oil.
6. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve warm or room temperature with some chili sauce.

Crispy Duck

Well this recipe is a first for me.  I have always been a bit intimidated by making this however, it was not even close to being as hard to make, as I initially thought.  It was quite delicious, and I will definitely try it again.  This duck was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.  The caraway seeds made all the difference in the world.  Give it a try!  You will not be disappointed, I assure you.  It is a wonderful break from the usual roast chicken.

Serves 4

5 pound Peking duck
2 teaspoons mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt (use a little less if not kosher)

Prick the duck all over with a sharp trussing needle. Try not to prick it through the meat, you just want to open up the skin so the fat underneath can render out. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the duck to tighten up the skin (you’ll see it shrinking).

Pat the duck as dry as possible using paper towels, then put it on a rack and stick it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You want the duck to be cold with very dry skin when it goes into the oven as it will take a while to render out the fat from under the skin without overcooking the meat.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the duck out of the fridge and prick the skin all over again making sure you don’t pierce the meat. Pat the duck dry again with paper towels. If you haven’t brined the duck, rub a few tablespoons of kosher salt on the inside and outside of the bird. Sew the body cavity shut or you can use toothpicks or skewer to do it. You want the duck to cook from the outside-in, so sewing the cavity shut prevents hot air from cooking the inside.

Pour 2 cups of water in the bottom of a roasting pan with a V rack and place the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Roast for 35 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven and insert a wooden spoon into the body cavity to flip it over so the breast-side is down. Add another cup of water and roast for another 40 minutes. If the fat starts spattering excessively or begins smoking at any time during the roasting process, add more water to the pan.

Make the glaze by adding the mustard, honey, caraway and salt to a small bowl and stirring to combine (microwaving it for a bit will make it easier to mix). Remove the duck from the oven and use a pastry brush to glaze the duck. Flip the duck over, and brush the glaze on the breast-side. Add more water to the pan if it needs it, and put it back in the oven for a final 20-30 minutes or until the glaze is a nice dark brown, and the skin is crispy.

Serve the duck immediately (if you let it rest, the skin will get soggy).