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Hot Chicken Salad Puffs

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It seems we barely get cleaned up from one reception, and it’s time to prepare for another. We have many events happening on a regular basis and they almost always are accompanied by the serving of food or refreshments of one kind or another. At a recent reception we revised an old favorite that met with a great response. We served this hot chicken salad in little cream puffs and they disappeared so quickly we couldn’t keep the trays filled.

Hot Chicken Salad Puffs

 

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Hot Chicken Salad Puffs
SERVINGS
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COOK TIME
65 - 70mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

Hot Chicken Salad Puffs
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Lightly grease 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion salt, spices, onion and almonds.
  4. Transfer to the baking dish, and top with Cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
  6. Fill cream puffs, arrange on platter and serve.
Cream Puffs
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) two baking sheets.
  3. Combine the water, butter and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, heat until the butter has melted and bring to a rolling boil.
  4. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture smooths out and follows the spoon around the pan; this should take less than 30 seconds.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  6. It will still feel hot. Transfer the dough to a mixer.
  7. Beat in the eggs one at a time; the mixture will look curdled, but when you add the last egg it should become smooth.
  8. Beat for 1 minute after adding the last egg. You will have a stiff, smooth batter.
  9. Drop the dough by Tablespoonful’s onto the prepared sheets.
  10. Leave about 2″ between them.
  11. Bake for about 20 minutes, till they have puffed, they are medium golden brown and they look dry.
  12. Remove baked puffs from the oven and use a sharp knife to cut a slit into the side of each puff, for steam to escape; this will help prevent them from becoming soggy.
  13. Return the puffs to the oven for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
  14. Slit each puff in half around the circumference and fill with a heaping Tablespoonful of chicken salad.
  15. Replace the top.

Hot Cross Buns

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Countless stories surround the origin and the history of hot cross buns. Suffice it to say they are eaten as a simple little sweet during Lent after weeks of abstinence and looking towards the crucifixion. It is our tradition to serve them here at the Community of Jesus every Good Friday.

There is one little saying about them that I particularly like. It is said that a bun baked on Good Friday and hung in one’s kitchen will guarantee the success of all baked goods prepared in that kitchen. Worth a try?

HOT CROSS BUNS

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Hot Cross Buns
SERVINGS
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COOK TIME
20minutes
PREP TIME
READY IN
55-60minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand 10 minutes in mixer until foamy.
  2. Add softened butter, instant powdered milk, egg, egg white. Mix well with dough hook.
  3. Add salt and flour only adding enough flour until dough is slightly sticky.
  4. Add citron and currants and cinnamon
  5. Continue to add rest of flour until the dough is soft and smooth and not too sticky to handle. You may not need all of your flour.
  6. Mix on slow for another 5 minutes – this will knead the dough.
  7. Let rise in mixer bowl until double in size.
  8. Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
  9. Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan.
  10. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
  11. Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
  12. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
  13. To make crosses: mix together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun.

Chicken And Roasted Vegetables Extraordinaire

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We are still picking kale and digging up parsnips in our garden, and both are tasting so so good. From the garden straight to the stove….how much fresher could you ask for your vegetables to be, and what could taste better with these wonderful vegetables than a nice plump whole roasted chicken smothered with herbs and filled with your favorite stuffing? It seems we can never have this too often at the convent.

Most people seem to be sold on roasted vegetables these days and they are great. But to me the magic key to making them better than ever, is to roast them together with the meat or poultry with which they are being served.

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Chicken And Roasted Vegetables Extraordinaire
SERVINGS
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COOK TIME
30minutes
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Season a whole chicken with onion salt and pepper and herbs.
  2. Place in roasting pan large enough to hold vegetables as well. Surround the bird with equal amounts of parsnips, carrots, potatoes and onions.
  3. Roast uncovered at moderate temp 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until juices begin to appear - stirring from time to time.
  4. Add chicken broth, water, or a splash of wine as needed making sure that every bit of flavor, fat and juice is being absorbed by scraping and stirring.
  5. Remove bird to a smaller pan to finish cooking, once the vegetables have reached the softness you desire.

Skewered Lamb Kebabs

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Last week lamb was on sale (something that does not occur too often), so I happily took advantage of it and bought a nice leg. In general, most people either really like this meat or do not like it at all. Few seem to be neutral about it, mainly, I think, because of its distinctive flavor, which is precisely what makes it appeal to lamb lovers.

I myself prefer it simply roasted or broiled, but for the sake of those whom I knew would like it a little more dressed up I decided to make colorful kabobs with a few favorite vegetables and serve it with Greek rice, the way my father always prepared it.

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Skewered Lamb Kebabs
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COOK TIME
1 1/4hours
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. The first step is to marinate the lamb preferably overnight, if possible, then cube the vegetables and add to the marinade for whatever length of time is convenient.
  2. Arrange both meat and vegetables on skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 1 hour.
  3. Broil for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned and to desired doneness, turning frequently.
  4. Prepare rice well in advance.
  5. Saute rice in oil and butter. Add salt, parsley, mint, garlic and water.
  6. Cover and simmer on low heat untill all liquid is absorbed and rice is thoroughly cooked, adding additional water if needed. The earlier the rice is cooked, the more flavorful it will be when served.

Portuguese Sweet Bread

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Most of the Convent Sisters love to cook and even those who may not, learn to, so that everyone can help prepare meals.  All are encouraged to be creative, which makes for a great deal of variety in our menu. As a result, we can actually go around the world in a week without ever leaving home.

Thursday evening has been established as Italian night. Many sisters love Asian and Thai cooking. Mexican is a long-time favorite, and Sisters who have spent time in Germany, Korea, and India all like to have a chance to relive their experiences there through cooking dishes native to each country…..thus the great diversity of our meals. We never simply have “the same old thing.”

But one day a week we choose to have only very plain food. Basically bread, cheese, fruit, and a simple soup. This has led to baking many different kinds of bread and one of our favorites has become this beautiful Portuguese sweet bread.

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Portuguese Sweet Bread
SERVINGS
5loaves
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
loaves
COOK TIME
45-60minutes
PREP TIME
READY IN
1-3hours

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, (not hot).
  2. Add warm milk and 1 Tablespoon sugar.
  3. Whisk together and set aside to proof yeast.
  4. In a separate bowl, add eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat well and then add melted butter.
  5. Add yeast mixture, the remaining flour and salt.
  6. Mix well and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
  7. Continue mixing until dough begins to pull away from bowl or knead with greased hands until dough pulls away from your hands. This takes a while and the dough is sticky unlike bread dough.
  8. Place in greased bowl and cover to let rise to double, about 1 to 3 hours. Punch down, turn over, and let rise to double a second time.
  9. Carefully break away about 2/3 pound of dough at a time, rolling dough into a nice loaf shape and place into greased loaf pans. This should make about 5 to 7 nice loafs.
  10. Let rise until double in the pans for a third rising.
  11. Make two to three 1/4-inch slits on the top of each loaf and then brush tops with 1 beaten egg mixed with water
  12. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes and then reduce heat to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit for another 25 to 30 minutes.
  13. Remove loaves from the oven and lay them on their side on a rack for a couple of minutes before removing from the pan.

Apple Bundles

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What says Autumn more than apples?  I still remember apple picking as a child — and all of the smells, tastes and visual stimuli that went with it… the drive to Hadley through the Notch, the trees a riot of color, the smell of leaves crunching underfoot and of ripening apples. The first bite sitting at the top of a tree, tart, juicy sweetness. We are harvesting our apple trees, a few at a time. The early apples are sweet, tart, and super crunchy, perfect for any baking one would want to do. I love apple pie. Also like apple dumplings, but I don’t fancy the whole apple wrapped in crust. So I thought of a marriage of the two — cinnamon sweet apple chunks bundled in pie crust! Little individual dumplings that anyone could eat warm from the oven. So here is what I came up with.

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Apple Bundles
SERVINGS
5bundles
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
bundles
COOK TIME
14-16minutes
PREP TIME
READY IN
1hour

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Mix together flour, sugar and salt.
  2. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course meal and the pieces of butter are pea-sized.
  3. Add water as needed and mix with a fork until dough holds together and you can form into a ball.
  4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
For the filling
  1. Peel and cut apples into 1/2 inch pieces.
  2. In a large pan, over medium heat, melt butter and add apples. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
  3. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook a few more minutes. Set aside.
To make bundles
  1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness in a rough rectangular shape. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 4 inch squares.
  4. Place dough squares on prepared pans. Spoon 1 Tablespoon to 1 1/2 Tablespoons in center of dough square.
  5. Bring corners to center, pinching along seams. Brush top of each bundle, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (last 2 ingredients combined).
  6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden. Can be served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.