Cinnamon Buns

I loved cinnamon buns as a child—they were a rare treat from the donut shop or grocery store.  In high school, while working in the local shopping mall, during the break of my shift I used to reward myself with Cinnabon’s 900-calorie cinnamon bun.  These were extra-large, warm, and super cinnamon-y rolls like no others I had experienced.

I haven’t eaten at a Cinnabon in decades, but my passion for these treats never abated.  Last year my friend Liz shared an easy cinnamon bun recipe that requires no yeast.  It is healthier than traditional recipes that call for much more sugar and butter.  This version is an adaptation of Liz’s recipe.

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

Filling

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dough

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (reduced fat is acceptable)

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze

2 tablespoons cream cheese (reduced fat is acceptable), room temperature

2 tablespoons buttermilk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray an 8 or 9-inch square or circle pan (metal, glass, or ceramic) with vegetable cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.     In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients together.  Set aside.

3.     For the dough, in another small bowl melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cool.  Then add buttermilk and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid has been absorbed.  Gently knead to incorporate remaining flour.

4.     On a well-floured surface (such as a baking sheet, which will contain the mess), continue to knead the dough for 1 minute.  Pat the dough into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle.

5.     Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and use your fingers to spread it on the dough.  Spoon the filling evenly across the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Use your fingers to firmly press the filling into the dough.

6.     Roll the dough along its long edge, pressing firmly to form a tight log.  Pinch the edge to seal.

7.     Use dental floss to cut the log into thirds; then further cut each piece into thirds.  To do this, slide the floss under the log and cross the ends to cut through the dough.

8.     Place each roll sideways into the pan (see photo below).  Pinch the ends if needed and gently press to flatten and adhere the filling to the dough.

9.     Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until the buns are lightly browned.

10.     While the buns are baking, in a medium sized bowl make the glaze by mixing the cream cheese and buttermilk.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until the glaze is smooth.  Set aside.

11.     Once the buns have baked, cool for five minutes and then spoon on the glaze.  Serve immediately from the pan or transfer to a platter.

Summer Eggplant Salad

This is a perfect starter or side dish for a hot summer day.

The eggplant is native to the Indian subcontinent and was brought to Europe by Arabs in the Middle Ages.  The first known written documentation comes from a Chinese agricultural text dating from 544; the first European reference is in an English botany text from 1597.

The eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and was domesticated from the wild nightshade, also known as the thorn apple or bitter apple.  It is closely related to the tomato and potato.  In most languages, the fruit is known by some variation of the words aubergine, brinjal, or melongene, all of which derive from a Dravidian word that was borrowed into Sanskrit and Pali, then into Persian, then into Arabic, and finally into European languages.

The 18^th century cultivars popular in Europe were spherical and light in color, hence the name ‘eggplant’ which is still used in American English.  Although most North Americans are now familiar with the dark purple cultivar, eggplants come in shades of white, yellow, green, and reddish-purple.  There is also great variation in size—ranging from that of a grape to a watermelon.

Eggplant has a firm skin and smooth, spongy flesh.  It can be stewed (as in French ratatouille), fried (as in Italian eggplant parmensan), stuffed (as in Turkish Imam bayildi), curried (as in Indian curries), mashed (as in Middle Eastern baba ghanoush or on pizza), pickled (as in Syrian makdous), and braised or steamed in various Chinese dishes.  Eggplant has become popular as a meat-substitute in vegetarian cuisine.

Five nations account for 90% of international eggplant production; China leads the way followed by India, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Whisk together the oil, lemon, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.

3. Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup dressing, and spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally until tender and golden around edges.  Remove from the oven and let the eggplant cool so that it is warm (but not hot enough to melt the feta).

4. Mix feta, garlic, and capers into reserved dressing.

5. In a large bowl, combine baked eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and mint leaves. Toss with reserved dressing and serve within 2 hours.

Shrimp Tacos

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn or flour tortilla wrapped around a filling. Tacos are usually filled with a combination of meat, chicken, seafood, cheese and vegetables and served with various salsas and condiments. The word taco means ‘plug’ and is thought to have been coined by Mexican silver miners due to its resemblance to an explosive consisting of gunpowder wrapped in paper.

I grew up in Canada eating store-bought hard shell corn tacos. We used to buy perfectly formed Old El Paso plastic-wrapped shells. We would fill these with ground beef topped with thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and a little bit of salsa.

It has been years since I had one of these childhood treats, so Cinco de Mayo was a great opportunity to rediscover and re-imagine the taco.  This unconventional version has the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and salty flavors.


Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (reduced or whole fat)
2 limes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
3/4 pound cooked and peeled shrimp (sliced in half) or other seafood such as crabmeat, lobster, or salmon
12-ounce package coleslaw mix (including green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots)
1 mango, peeled, cut into thin strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
salt (to taste)
12 small tortillas or hard taco shells
Red Rooster chili sauce for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, make dressing by mixing mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon water, sugar, jalapeno pepper, and 1/3 cilantro leaves.
2. Toss shrimp or seafood with 2 tablespoons of dressing until just coated. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining cilantro, coleslaw, mango, red onion, remaining dressing, and salt in a large bowl.  Mix until thoroughly combined.
4. If making soft tacos, warm tortillas in skillet. To serve, spread tortilla or hard taco with chili sauce and fill with seafood and coleslaw mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Noodle Kugel

Noodle kugel is an Ashkenazi Jewish casserole usually served as a side dish or a dessert. It is often prepared for the Sabbath and holidays.

Kugels were originally savory cakes made with flour. Eight hundred years ago, the flour was replaced with noodles or farfel; dairy products were added to create a custard-like consistency. More recent versions may contain raisins and cinnamon.

Kugel comes from the German word ball, since the dish was originally baked in a round pan. Contemporary kugels are most commonly baked in square or rectangular dishes.


Serves 12-16

Ingredients
12 ounces egg noodles
6 eggs
16 ounces small curd cottage cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 or 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 cup corn flake crumbs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1. Cook noodles according to instructions on packet. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large bowl beat eggs and add cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup butter, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Gently fold in noodles, apples and raisins.
4. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 Pyrex dish.
5. In a small bowl mix corn flake crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and mix well. Sprinkle mixture on top of kugel.
6. Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 75-90 minutes or until the topping is a rich golden brown.
7. Cool at room temp for 15 minutes. Serve warm.