Flower Cheese Bread

Bread and cheese a  perfect combination and once you go to the next step of stuffing cheese filling into dough and bake it - heaven.  I came across this recipe a many weeks ago and have been wanting to try it. This recipe comes from Eastern Europe, my ancentors may have made this too.  We have had  a very sunny and hot July so turning on the oven just seemed a bit too much, but this recipe called to me so I decided to bake it today.  This reminds me of a cheese pyroh or even a bit like Khachapurri.  The dough is a bit more 'pastry like' tender and buttery raised on yeast  with egg and butter ....sounding good?  Very simple to put together, with feta cheese and ricotta as the filling.  I will be serving it with borscht which I will be making tomorrow, but first a sample while it's still warm......yum.

 FLOWER CHEESE BREAD



 

The ingredients you will need for the dough.

The ingredients you will need for the filling.

 

  The butter has been melted and whisked with the egg.

The flour and salt combined and waiting for the rest of the ingredients.

The yeast has proofed and is ready to be added to the flour and the butter/egg mixture.

The dough shaped and filled with the cheese filling.

The Flower Cheese Bread has been  brushed with an egg wash.

 

 Onto one of the breads I added  Raspberry Jam.

 



Beautifully browned and ready to sample...

 

Such a pretty looking  bread......yes, like a  flower.

 

    FLOWER CHEESE BREAD RECIPE

Ingredients

Dough:

2 cups Flour, all purpose
½ cup Butter, melted
1 tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 Egg
1 tsp Yeast
⅔ cup Water, lukewarm
Filling:
1 cup Feta Cheese, shredded
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
Other:
4 tbsp Jam
1 Egg, for brushing

Preparation Instructions

Start with activating your yeast, combine it with water and sugar

and let sit for 5-10 minutes until becomes frothy.

In a different bowl, melt the butter and  add the egg and mix.

In the bowl of your mixer add the flour and salt and mix well.

Pour the yeast and butter mixtures over the flour

  and mix it vigorously with the hook attachment of your mixer.

Knead the dough into a ball, rub some oil on it

  and let it rest for a couple of hours or until it doubles in size.

Get the filling ready by mixin g the feta cheese and ricotta together.

Divide your dough into 4 pieces. Roll out each piece so that it’s about 4 inches (10cm) in diameter. Add a quarter of the cheese filling in the middle of the rolled out dough. Fold it to completely cover up the cheese.

Flatten out the ball, so that it’s about 4 inches (10cm) in diameter again, and using a sharp knife cut 4 slits into it, leaving about an inch in the middle uncut. Now inside each quarter, cut 2 more slits.

Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C.

Place the flowers carefully on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and let them rise for another 30 minutes. Brush them with egg wash and add some blueberry jam on the center of the pie, if you want.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

 

 

'Live life one day at a time and share it with people who matter most to you.

 For life is a little jar of memories so we must fill it with people worth remembering!'

Pam's Gourmet Pizza.....the real 'fast food'......made at home.

Pizza, who doesn't love pizza!
 I really can't remember the time when we 'ordered in' pizza.  I have always made my own pizza crust with a variety of pizza toppings.  My kids loved to make there own personalized mini pizzas with toppings they picked out from the assortment of vegetables and cheeses I  provided for them.  Healthy, quick and so much fun to eat.    I have tried many pizza dough recipes throughout the years and  8 years ago finally came up with my favorite recipe.  It rises in less that 30 minutes and is so easy to spread into the pizza pan, it's crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside  - to me - a perfect combination!    My best friend Helena first made pizza without any cheese - the real - Italian way 'she said'  and  it was exceptional.  We had gone over for dinner  one evening and she made Red Pepper and Onion, Potato and many more for us to sample. 
She  put a few small cubes of mozzarella on these pizzas and that was it for cheese.
Well I have never had pizza without cheese and the Red Pepper and Onion was incredible.  I have been making it ever since for the 16 years sometimes adding a few cubes of cheese but most of the time just as is. 
Mushrooms are a big favorite in our family, they are so full of flavour and contain many vitamins, minerals and protein. A few years ago I  made a portobello mushroom pizza with a 'creamy mushroom sauce' as I had a couple of portobello mushrooms that needed to be used. I simmer the sliced portobello mushrooms in a bit of water then add either milk or cream, salt and continue to simmer for a bit then remove strain out the juice from the portobellos, then into my pan I add all the mushroom juice and some cream cheese and Parmesan, salt and pepper and simmer it down until thickened and voila, you have your creamy mushroom sauce. It is so flavourful and perfect under the sliced portobellos topped with a bit of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.
Portobello Mushroom Pizza is now the number one favorite in this house 'according to my boys ' and my daughter's favorite is still the Red Pepper and Onion.
I love to sample them all. When I make pizza for a crowd there will be Greek Pizza with spinach, onion, red peppers, Kalamata Olives, tomatoes and feta cheese.
For my husband who loves hot peppers I make a Mushroom and Pineapple topped with sliced jalapenos and there we will also have a simple tomato and Parmesan cheese with a few basil leaves. There are so many ways to change up a pizza that it is different each and every time using what vegetables are in season or 'in your fridge'.

When my husband's sisters came for a visit  this is what I served, a  pizza dinner.  Today we have more family coming over for a visit and I will  be treating them to a Pizza lunch. 

Pam's Gourmet Pizza

 



 

Ingredients you will need for the dough.

 A few herbs are added - this was an addition made by my late son Alixander.

I love the herbs in the crust .....thank you son.  You are with me in my kitchen

every time I make this dough now.

 

 The nice thing about this  pizza dough it that it is made  in one bowl.

  Put dry ingredients in your bowl, add the wet and turn on

your mixer (or knead by hand) that is what I did before

I got my mixer.

The pizza dough is rising

Portobellos have been sliced and  ingredients added....simmering

away to release a bold mushroom flavour.

 Portobellos have been removed, strained - excess juices pressed out and

added back to the pan.  Cream/milk is added as well as Parmesan cheese,

simmer until thickened (sauce with thicken even more once it has cooled).

 

It has been about 20 minutes and the pizza dough is

light and fluffy.

With my hands I spread out the pizza dough onto a pan

greased with olive oil.  Then the mushroom sauce is added

and topped with the cooked portobellos. Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella (1/4 cup or so)

and then grate about  1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.

I also made a vegetable pizza topped with white button mushrooms

over a red sauce.    A clove of minced garlic is sprinkled over the red sauce.

Sliced button mushrooms are added.

As you can see there is pineapple and also sliced jalapenos waiting

to be added to this pizza.   Another  pizza crust with mushrooms and red sauce

is waiting in the wings - this will be a Greek style pizza.

Ingredients added and waiting to be topped with shredded mozzarella

and baked.

  YUM.....Portobello Mushroom Pizza with mushroom sauce is out

of the oven.....the kitchen smells amazing.....

 

 Dig in, enjoy....share

 

PAM'S PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

 

Makes 2 pizza crusts (3 if thin crust)

3 cups all purpose flour (I use unbleached)

 1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (I use bread machine yeast)

3 Tablespoons cornmeal

dried herbs, oregano, basil etc.

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

 

Put dry ingredients into the bowl of your mixer, mix well then add your wet ingredients.

Turn on mixer and mix for 1-2 minutes  (make sure all ingredients are incorporated well)

and set aside to rise until doubled - approximately 20 minutes. 

Divide dough and spread onto greased pizza pans. 

 Add your sauce   (as little or as much as you like) and toppings  (sliced red/yellow/orange peppers - mushrooms, red onion, spinach, olives, tomatoes, pineapple, Jalapeno) and mozzarella/feta/Parmesan cheese.

   I  add  minced garlic onto the sauce and then whatever toppings I have.

Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes.

Halfway through baking remove pizza from the pan (carefully)  (if the dough is still soft, let it bake longer then remove) and slide onto the oven racks, continue to bake another 10 minutes until the crust is crispy and browned, then slide back onto pan and remove.

This will give you the crispiest crust and yet it will still be soft and chewy on the inside.

Another trick from my friend Helena!

 

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

— Maya Angelou

 



Raspberries and Rhubarb.......

Summer fruit.........Growing up in the Kootenays my parents had a great raspberry patch as did all of my extended family.  When  I was young my Mother would 'volunteer ' my sisters and I to pick raspberries at a few of my  relatives  gardens...... I have always loved raspberries but was never able to have my own 'patch'   well things have changed!   Two years ago I planted a row of raspberry canes and now I am the proud 'owner' of  berries so sweet and juicy  and producing so very well.  Each time I go out in my gardens to water the raised bed area (which just happens to be near the raspberries) I have a feast.....such a treat while doing the mundane task of watering my plants.  Today I decided to bake with raspberries that I picked two days ago and fresh rhubarb from my garden. 



Raspberry/Rhubarb Pudding Cake

A bit of cream drizzled on top and it's a perfect ending to a meal.

 

 

The ingredients you will need.

 

Raspberry/Rhubarb Pudding Cake just out of the oven.......smells delicious!

 



 

 

RASPBERRY/RHUBARB PUDDING CAKE RECIPE

 

3 cups sliced rhubarb

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

Bring rhubarb, water, sugar and cornstarch to a boil and simmer 3 minutes.

Remove from stove and stir in:

1 cup raspberries

Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish

 

In large bowl:

Whisk together:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt.

 

In a separate bowl:

Whisk one egg

1/2 cup milk

8 tablespoons melted coconut butter. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Reserve 1/2 of the fruit mixture and add remainder to baking dish. Pour the batter over the fruit, spreading it evenly. Spoon the reserved fruit mixture over the batter.

 

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve with  cream or ice cream.   Enjoy!

 

 

KINDNESS

is your soul's way of finding a place inside other people's hearts.

It is a shelter fortified with gratitude.

Dodinsky

Sourdough Banana Spice Bread

 Sourdough starter, once you've started a batch 'your committed'.....seriously I love working with sourdough starter.  There are so many things you can make with it.  Thanks to my friend Susan who gave me some of her starter I've become a bit 'obsessed' but my family (and friends) are enjoying it.
Today I thought I would bake with the two overripe bananas that I had sitting on my counter.  So out comes my starter from the fridge, gave it a good feed of flour and water and sat it on my counter to do it's magic.   A short while later it was bubbling and frothy and ready for me to have fun.
So with the bananas, starter, a few raisins, spices and of course some sort of nut, I decided to use sunflower seeds this time - I am off.  Hope you enjoy this recipe (and if you need starter, contact me) !

Sourdough Banana Spice Bread

 

The ingredients you will need.

My sourdough starter, bubbling and ready.

The finished bread ready for sampling with a friend or family.

 

SOURDOUGH BANANA SPICE BREAD RECIPE

 

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or Coconut oil (I used Coconut Oil)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup Sourdough Starter

2 bananas, mashed

1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 tsp cloves ( opt)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 cup raisins (soaked in hot water and drained)

1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds

 

Cream together the butter or coconut oil, sugar, egg  and vanilla.

Mix in the sourdough starter and mashed bananas.

  In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt baking soda and spices.

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix just until combined.

Stir in raisins and sunflower seeds.

Do not over mix.

 Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the

loaf comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing.

 

 

"You will learn a lot about yourself if you stretch in the direction of goodness,

 of bigness, of kindness, of forgiveness, of emotional bravery.

Be a warrior for Love."

 

..........Cheryl Strayed

 

 

 

Pyrohi - Baked Vegetable Tarts

 Vegetable Pyrohi

 

Comfort food when I was growing up.  My Mother and Grandmother, Aunts and Cousins all baked these vegetable filled,  yeast raised dough tarts.  They are served at many special occasions and any family meal.  They freeze well and reheat to a 'softness' that is like 'just made'.

 I decided to bake up a batch of these last week - I chose to fill them with sauerkraut, cottage cheese, carrot, pumpkin and a few apple/cinnamon and strawberry.  They are great as  'portable' lunches which take just minutes to reheat and topped with a bit of melted butter and sour cream with a green salad on the side - a perfect lunch, supper or snack.

 

 

Vegetable Pyrohi

 

Cottage Cheese, Romano Bean and Sauerkraut ready

to be stuffed into the pastry.

Eggs, salt are added to the dry cottage cheese.

The cottage cheese should stay together as above

 (when squeezed together in your hand)

   if it doesn't, add another egg.

This recipe called or 12 eggs, beaten

I shredded the carrots,

The carrots are 'dry fried' to remove excess moisture.

Pumpkin is 'cooked down' to remove excess moisture.

The pumpkin after it has cooked down and is much drier.

 

The yeast dough has risen and is ready to be rolled,

cut and filled.

  The dough is either rolled out with a rolling pin

or just pat it out to 1/4 inch thickness with your hands.

Cut rounds out with either cookie cutter or glass like I did.

You can choose the size you would like but don't make it too small.

Cutting the rounds out.

 

 All the dough has been rolled out and cut out

 Place your filled onto the round and proceed to fold

and close.

 You can see the folding in this photo

This video shows how the folding is done.

The tarts are all stuffed and ready to rise for an hour

then baked. 

Beautifully browned Pyrohi ready for sampling.

 Carrot and cottage cheese peeking out from the light

and pillowy dough.

 

 They are like jewels on a plate.....all that is needed

is a bit of melted butter, sour cream and a table filled

with family or friends to share this delicious food.

 

VEGETABLE PYROHI RECIPE

(this recipe is from the Hospitality - Cooking the Doukhobor Way Cookbook) 

(this is a large recipe but it can be cut in half )

2  1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

4 Tbsp yeast

3/4 cup warm water

2 tsp sugar

1 dozen eggs

1 Tbsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

11 cups flour

 

Heat milk, shortening, and butter just until boiling point.  Cool.

Dissolve 2 tsp sugar and yeast in water.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Beat eggs, salt and 1/2 cup sugar.

Mix together with cooled milk.

Add flour to make a soft dough.

Let rise once.

When dough has risen ,   roll or press out dough onto counter ( 1/4 inch thick)

Depending on the size of your cutter, small size use approximately 2 Tbsp filling

  on the circle and spread slightly.

F old top of circle over filling and bring the edges towards the centre of the filling so

they are almost touching, fold bottom edge up.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart and let rise or about

45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Bake until lightly browned.

Serve with melted butter and sour cream.

 

FILLINGS

 

Cottage Cheese:  Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the dry cottage cheese ( I buy dry cottage cheese and then freeze it - defrost and squeeze out moisture) this helps the curds to break down into nice fine curds.   For 3 cups of cheese, use 2 large eggs, salt to taste.  Mix well.

 

Beans:  If using dry beans cook  (Romano/Italian/kidney)  until soft.  Drain and reserve some liquid.

Mash well, use some the the bean liquid  and some cream to make into spreadable consistency, add a pinch of sugar and salt to  taste.  I used canned beans, drained them and then cooked them dry in a frying pan to remove excess moisture.

 

Peas:  Use either split peas or frozen peas or a mixture of both.  Cook peas until tender, mash well, add salt and sugar to taste (sugar is optional). 

 

 Pumpkin: Put cooked pumpkin  into a frying pan, add 2 Tbsp of butter and cook until thick.  Add sugar or honey and a pinch of salt.

 

Beets:  Cook and peel beets.  Grate on fine grater, add a bit of butter and salt to taste. 

Saute or a few minutes.

 

Sauerkraut:   Drain sauerkraut very well, shred and saute lightly to remove excess moisture.

 

Potato:  Peel and boil potatoes in salted water.  Drain and mash well, add egg to make a soft filling.  Add some black pepper, minced garlic or sauteed onion.

 

 

"Kind words can be  short and easy to speak,

 but their echoes are truly endless"........Mother Teresa

 

 

 

ROSE PETAL JELLY & THE MAGIC OF ROSES



Roses, so fragrant - so many varieties, so many colours.   This year my roses are blooming early and have so many buds and blooms, as I walk around my yard I stop and 'smell the roses'.   Rugosa roses I can smell from my deck, looking at one of my rose bushes heavy with roses I thought I might cook something with them.  Rose Petal Jelly is the idea that came to me!   Thanks to my neighbor and friend Anne and her 'donations' of several cuttings from her Rugosa Roses I have many plants to pick from. 
Thank you Mom for the lovely hand crocheted table runner that my pretty Rose Petal Jelly & Syrup are sitting on......
My first attempt at the Rose Petal Jelly/Jam was not a success but my Grandmother's voice in my mind of  'do not be wasteful' became my Rose Petal Syrup, perfect I realized for pancakes, waffles and even tea -   my second attempt - a successful Jelly....oh the joys of experimentation.

 Rose Petal Jelly & Syrup

ROSE PETAL JELLY  RECIPE

Yield 6 half pints

6 cups rose petals (either Rugosa or Wild rose)

4 cups water

1 box pectin

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

5 1/2 cups sugar

In large saucepan add the rose petals and water and simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain and return to pan. 

Whisk in pectin and lemon juice.

Add sugar and stir.

Bring to a boil, boil hard 1 minutes .

Pour into sterilized jars, seal and process in a

water bath for 10 minutes







Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn;

that there is no end in nature, but every ending is a beginning.

Ralph Waldo Emerson