Say WHAT?!... Yup, that's right, you read the title of this post right! I made homemade pop-tarts recently and they were delish; or as my boyfriend would say: "stupid good" and "epic".
Now these epic pop-tarts and the recipe would not come to be if not for finding the recipe in Food & Wine's Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes (awesome cookbook series that compiles the best of the best!) and for remembering that I absolutely love the cookbooks Flour and Flour, too written by Joanne Chang. I've made these pop-tarts, as well as delicious Rosemary Shortbread and Homemade Dog Biscuits from the books - and boy where they good (well I don't know about the dog biscuits...). Out of the two books, one focused more on baking and the other on a combination of savoury and sweet recipes. If you're not a baker but want to try, all the recipes are a collection of goods served at Flour Bakery locations in Boston, Cambridge and Allston - which means I definitely have to visit when I drop by the area, SOON.
Why am I so fond of Joanne Chang? She's an inspiration and proof that life can have forks in the road, leading you down paths you never thought of. Last year she won the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Baker, which is far from her career path in college. How so? She entered Harvard University in astrophysics (!!!!!) and ended up graduating in applied mathematics and economics (super impressive). While at school she sold her chocolate chip cookies to classmates and later when working in her field she she continued to do so for colleagues, all while creating a business plan for Joanne's Kitchen. At a point, instead of entering business school, she took a chance and applied to be a chef disregarding her very limited experience. She followed her gut and passions, and with a lot of hard work it worked - true inspiration!
Now for these yummy pop-tarts... I don't what else to say but they are a definite must try and easy to fill with any type of jam you please (or have on hand!). Also, as she mentioned in the recipe, the pâte brissé (shortcrust pastry) is super versatile, being good for the yummy pop-tarts in this recipe, a double-crust/lattice-top 9-inch pie, little pie crust bites as you see in the photos, or cut and mold the pastry to the bottom of a muffin pan to make pie crust cups!!! What else: IT FREEZES!!! So imagine just having a stock and then thawing it out when you want some deliciousness in your life, or your kids have a playdate! It's honestly PERFECTION and:
"Make life sweeter, eat dessert first." - Joanne Chang
Homemade Pop-Tarts
Adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang Yield: 8 Ingredients: Pâte Brisée:
Pop-Tarts:
Pop-Tart Glaze:
Directions: Pâte Brisée:
Pop-Tarts:
Pop-Tart Glaze:
Assembly:
Notes: The pop-tarts can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature. Add more festivity by adding sprinkles!
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Maybe this is too much information, but anyways... Lately I have found that after eating cold cuts/deli meats, that I have a quite upset stomach and release CO2. It could be the nitrates, or my self-diagnosed lactose intolerance, but all-in-all I am quite uncomfortable about 2-4 hours after my yummy mortadella, soppressata or ham and cheese sandwich. Bummer, RIGHT?! Because of all this, I've been brainstorming alternative sandwich ideas for some time. Leftovers and salads are a great option, but sometimes there are no leftovers (or you don't feel like having them) or interesting salad combos are not available with the ingredients on hand. Added point, I do not want to turn to frozen microwaved meals (once a week maybe, but more often - no thank you), the very expensive cafeteria food offered by the outlet at the university, or having to walk down the mountain to get lunch on the nearest boulevard - although this option can be quite tasty; there is always yummy sushi and great pub food that awaits!
SIDE NOTE: For those of you that are from Montreal, the university is Université de Montréal and the boulevard I'm talking about is Côte-des-Neiges. If you have a chance, checkout McCarold's. I promise you won't be disappointed, I absolutely love their chicken and leek pot pie. Anyways... This is where the idea for homemade porchetta sandwiches comes into play. Usually, I purchase porchetta and rosemary cold cut meat from my local trattoria/grocers - obviously this leads to undesirable side effects. 'So why not make some?' was obviously the next thing that popped into my brain.
So, with some inspiration from Cook's Country One Pan Wonders - an amazing book filled with awesome recipes, I know I have at least two dozen post-its in my copy - I made these Porchetta Sandwiches! They're made with roasted pork tenderloin seasoned with salt, pepper and rosemary, topped with roasted peppers and onions with garlic and chilli flake seasoned kale: ultimate deliciousness. Now yes, I would have prefered rapini instead of kale - and why you will see rapini in the recipe in lieu of kale as pictured. Why? I love when I have only one pan to clean, and that is ultimately the goal of this recipe! But by having it with kale, the kale will crisp up in the oven and become crunchy and chip like, which is maybe not ideal for a sandwich (for a kale chip recipe see this post: Crunch Alternative: Kale Chips). So if you'de dead set on kale, sauté it in a pan on the stove as the tenderloin and peppers/onions are roasting in the oven. Hope you enjoy! :) Porchetta Sandwiches
Inspired by Cook’s Country One Pan Wonders Servings: 4 normal sandwiched (or 3 overloaded!) Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes: You can swap rapini with another leafy green. If choosing kale, the kale will become crispy and chip like and therefore you may want to consider sautéing the kale separately in a pan. Add some cheese! Try sliced provolone or mozzarella – super yummy when melted on the bread. If you’re making these for packed lunches the meat and vegetables store really well separately in airtight containers. The meat can be kept for a week whereas the vegetables for 3 to 4 days. Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope all of you had a marvelous holiday filled with yummy meals and desserts. Santa was extra good to me in both the food and gift department. One of my favourite gifts this year was a great book called The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lópex-Alt. As its subtitle states "Better homecooking through science", the book is full of explainations of why we do what we do in the kitchen. Perfect for the novice or the experienced homecook like all of us! Why do I mention it in this blog post? Because in the section Science of Stock, he has a soup called 30-Minute Don't-Call-It-Tuscan White Bean and Parmesan Soup that made me laugh out loud and refrain from putting 'Tuscan' in my Lemon Orzo White Bean Soup. Thank goodness I waited until after the holidays to post this recipe! What I like about this recipe? Its super quick to make and perfect for when I want soup without a big production. What I don't like? That a whole lemon is sometimes too much or sometimes not enough! So make sure you only add half, taste and then adjust! Nonetheless, the recipe is post worthy and a change to my pastina and broth or lipton soup go to staples. One way I may adjust the recipe again? Escarole instead of spinach! Let me know if you get a chance to try it before I do! In the mean time: Happy Soup Making! :) Lemon Orzo White Bean Soup Adapted from damndelicious.net Servings: 4 to 6 Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes: This soup does not keep well as the pasta absorbs the broth during cooling and storage. If you want to make ahead, cook the orzo in a separate pot according to package instructions, drain, coat in a bit of oil and store in a separate container. To heat either heat the soup and add the pasta before serving, or in an individual bowl place the desired amounts of soup and pasta and microwave till warm. |
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