Creative Cooks

Brazilian Cheese Bread
Servings: 15 small rolls Prep 15 minutes Cook 20 minutes Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (180g) tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup (155ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60ml) avocado oil or olive oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely shredded (56g) medium or sharp cheddar (white or yellow)
1/3 cup finely shredded (28g) Grana Padano or parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large heatproof mixing bowl whisk together tapioca starch and salt, set aside.
In a saucepan bring milk and oil to a simmer. Pour hot mixture into tapioca flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined (it will be a bit lumpy). Let cool 5 minutes.
Mix in egg (using the wooden spoon or an electric mixer), then fold in cheddar and Grana Padano. Note that dough will be tacky but it should hold a form (see note for a runny dough or a thick dough).
Scoop dough out using a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop (or two spoons and nearly a golf ball size, and drop on baking sheet spacing 1 1/2-inches apart.
Bake in preheated oven until exterior is golden brown and crisp (centers will be stretchy chewy cheesy still), about 15 to 18 minutes.

Notes

Tapioca starch can vary a bit in absorption by brand and batch. If you find your dough is overly runny you can add a little more tapioca starch, refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes, or bake the runny dough in a greased muffin pan among 12-wells. If you find dough is overly thick simply stir in an additional 1 Tbsp milk.

Easy Marinated Mushrooms
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15minutes Yield 4 ½-cup servings

Ingredients

16 ounces Fresh Mushrooms
4 cups Water, plus ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons White Vinegar, or other vinegar
1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Chili Pepper
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Boil WATER and remove stems from MUSHROOMS along with any visible dirt.
*See recipe footnotes for sautéed version
Add MUSHROOM CAPS to water and boil until tender (about 3 minutes), stirring as needed.
Use a colander to drain excess water from mushrooms and allow to cool.
To make the marinade, combine OLIVE OIL, VINEGAR, PARSLEY, GARLIC, ITALIAN SEASONING, RED CHILI FLAKES, SALT, and PEPPER.
Combine mushrooms and marinade. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days.

Recipe Notes

To sauté mushrooms (instead of boiling)
Heat 2 tablespoons OLIVE OIL in skillet on medium high heat.
Add stemmed MUSHROOMS and sauté until tender and juicy (about 3 minutes), stirring as needed.
Remove from heat and continue with step #4 above.

Homemade Strawberry Syrup with Honey
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 18 (1 oz servings), estimate

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/16 tsp ground cinnamon
16 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

Instructions

Add water, honey, sugar, and ground cinnamon to a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is combined.
Once boiling, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the strawberries.
Mash the strawberries well using a potato masher or muddler. Cover the pan and let everything steep (off heat) for one hour.
After steeping, pour the strawberry syrup through a fine sieve, pressing down on the mashed strawberry mixture in the sieve with the back of a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Store syrup in the refrigerator.

Notes
This recipe yields about 18 ounces of syrup in total, but can easily be halved if you don't need that much.

Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)
Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients

2 medium cucumbers, or 1 large English cucumber
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see Tip)

Directions

Peel cucumbers to leave alternating green stripes. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Using a sharp knife or wide vegetable peeler, cut into very thin slices. Place in a double layer of paper towels and squeeze gently to remove any excess moisture.

Combine ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring to dissolve. Add the cucumbers and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Turkish Eggs with Chile Butter and Whipped Feta
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 3-4

Ingredients

Whipped Feta
6 ounces feta cheese
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Eggs, Greens, and Chile
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
4 cups mixed baby spinach and arugula
Kosher salt and black pepper
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 cup tender herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, basil, and dill
1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons everything bagel spice

Instructions

1. To make the whipped feta. In a food processor, combine the feta, and greek yogurt. Pulse until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if needed, about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of pepper. Pulse to combine. The feta can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2. To make the eggs. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmer, add the eggs and fry to your liking. Remove the eggs from the skillet to a plate.
3. Using the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic, and greens. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the greens are just wilted. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon zest, juice, herbs, and cucumber, toss to combine.
4. To make the chile butter. In a small saucepan, melt together the butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika.
5. To serve, spread the feta cheese into the bottom of each individual serving bowl. Add the eggs, wilted greens, and avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with everything spice. Spoon the chile butter over the eggs. Enjoy!

Confit Tandoori Chickpeas
Serves 8

2 (15 oz/425 g) cans of chickpeas, drained (17 oz/480 g total)
11 garlic cloves, peeled, 10 left whole and 1 minced
1 oz (30 g) fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
14 oz (400 g) datterini or regular cherry tomatoes
3 small Fresno chiles, mild or spicy, with a slit cut down their length
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 tsp. coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
½ tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. chile flakes
2 tsp. red Kashmiri chile powder
1 tsp. sugar
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (200 ml) olive oil
⅔ cup (180 g) Greek yogurt
¾ cup (15 g) mint leaves
1½ cups (30 g) cilantro, roughly chopped
2–3 limes (juiced to get 1 Tbsp. and the rest cut into wedges to serve)
Salt

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Step 2 - Put the chickpeas, whole garlic cloves, ginger, tomatoes, chiles, tomato paste, spices, sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large, oven-safe sauté pan, for which you have a lid, and mix everything together to combine.
Step 3 - Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 75 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the aromatics have softened and the tomatoes have nicely broken down.
Step 4 - Meanwhile, put the yogurt, mint, cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a food processor and blitz until smooth and the herbs are finely chopped.
Step 5 - Serve the chickpeas directly from the pan, with the yogurt and lime wedges alongside.

Note:

Jarred or canned butter beans (lima beans) would be great here! No Kashmiri chile powder? Use an equal amount of paprika instead.

Chicken au Poivre
Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 medium thighs)
3 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Finely chopped fresh chives

Directions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle evenly on all sides with 2 teaspoons of the pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt, pressing gently to adhere. Place chicken skin side down in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown and very crisp, about 15 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up; cook, undisturbed, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside, reserving drippings in skillet.
Add shallot, garlic, thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to drippings in skillet. Cook over medium, stirring often, until shallots are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and add Cognac. Return skillet to medium; cook, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of skillet, until Cognac is nearly evaporated, about 30 seconds. Pour in broth, and bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Whisk in crème fraiche and Dijon mustard until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Return chicken thighs to skillet, skin side up, and simmer over medium-low, swirling skillet occasionally, until chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and spoon sauce over top; garnish with chives and additional pepper. Serve immediately.

Make ahead
You can chop the shallots, garlic, and thyme up to two days in advance. Cooked chicken and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to three days. Reheat gently before serving.

Potato-and-Mozzarella Croquettes
Active Time 50 MIN Total Time 1 HR 50 MIN Yield Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Kosher salt
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium tomatoes (3/4 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetable oil, for frying

How to Make It
Step 1 - In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt and simmer over moderate heat until tender, 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Stir in the mozzarella and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 8 oval croquettes and transfer to a plate. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and saucy, 8 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl.
Step 3 - Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the mustard, garlic and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Dredge the croquettes in the bread crumbs, tapping off the excess. Dip the croquettes in the beaten egg mixture to coat, then dredge again in the bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs adhere.
Step 4 - In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350°. Working in 2 batches, fry the croquettes, turning, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with the tomato sauce.

Guide to Pepper

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