Saturday, December 28, 2013

Individual Green Salad with Chilli Dijon Salad Dressing

‘Cooking Uncovered‘  all copy rights preserved  


By: Miriam Borys  

Yield: 2 salads 

Ingredients:
1 large tomato
1 cup of bell peppers - your choice (in this 
recipe I use yellow, red and orange bell 
peppers which are so tasty
1/2 cucumber 
4-6 olives - green sicilian
3/4 package (5oz. package) of Herb Blend 
Salad Mix  or lettuce of choice
4 basil leaves  - fresh

Chilli Dijon Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic or wine vinegar
1/2 red chilli (or more if you like it hotter)
3 drops of hot sauce
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Wash & dice bell peppers, cucumber & tomatoes of choice. 
(peeling not necessary if using an english cucumber)
Wash basil leaves and cut chiffonade  
Chop up 4 sicilian green olives. Use 2 olives per salad.
On a dinner plate arrange salad greens of choice. 
Top with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and fresh basil.
In a bowl measure out the vinegar and olive oil.  
Add the diced hot chili, salt & pepper, hot sauce and mustard.
Whisk until emulsified.
Spoon dressing over salad and add roasted chicken if desired.  Enjoy!


Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com


Chiffonade - a chopping technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll.


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Baked Tuna Casserole - Gluten Free with Gorgonzola & Dubliner Aged Cheddar

Recipe Title: Baked Tuna Casserole with Gorgonzola & Dubliner Aged Cheddar - Gluten Free


By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 4 - 6

Ingredients:
½ kg. Pasta of choice (for this recipe I am using gluten free penne  made from brown rice, quinoa, amaranth & corn - see pic below)

6 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon potato starch
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
½ cup gorgonzola cheese (blue cheese)
¼ cup Dubliner aged white cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
1 zucchini - fresh
1 can flaked tuna






Cook pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until half cooked because the pasta will continue to cook in the casserole dish.  Drain pasta and pour pasta into a large casserole dish.
To make the cheese sauce add butter to a heavy sauce pot and melt the butter.
Add the potato starch and stir into melted butter. Keep you heat on a medium low heat so the sauce doesn’t burn.
Whisk in the cream and milk and continue to stir until the sauce thickens
. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once the sauce thickens, add cheeses and continue to stir to melt the cheese. Turn the heat off now so that the sauce doesn’t curdle.
Pour cheese sauce over cooked pasta (which is now in the large casserole dish) and add the drained tuna.
Wash the zucchini and with a mandolin
 dice zucchini into the casserole with the pasta and sauce. Stir well.
Yes, you are correct, the zucchini isn’t cooked but it will be when lunch is served.  Have faith!
Store casserole in the fridge until you are ready to prepare lunch.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees or 175 C.
Bake the covered casserole for  35-40 minutes until warmed all the way through. Serve 
with a tossed green salad and one of my amazing home-made salad dressings.  (click here to go to a copy of a great recipe for a salad dressing).
This pasta dish can be made the day before and cooled until needed.  



Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com


Shallot & Ginger Salad Dressing


By: Chef Miriam Borys


Ingredients:

2 tsp. Shallots
4 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. grated ginger - no need to peel ginger 
Add the shallots, vinegar & ginger to a mixing bowl or a salad shaker. Marinate the shallots & ginger in the white balsamic while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

Add all the remaining ingredients below and whisk to combine.
½ tsp. grainy Dijon
1 tbsp. Fresh cilantro – small dice
Cracked pepper
Dash salt
1 tbsp. Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ tsp. sweet ginger garlic seasoning
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. agave nectar or honey
Store in the fridge until needed.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com





Thursday, December 12, 2013

Apple Cinnamon Pecan Swirls

By: Miriam Borys
Yield: 12 




Buttery Cinnamon Spread (make ahead if possible).
1 c butter (soft but not melted)
4 c golden yellow sugar
¼ c cinnamon
Combine in a stand mixer or by hand and beat until light and fluffy. Set aside at room temperature. Prepare this ahead of time and store in cooler until needed. Remove from the fridge the night before so that the Buttery Cinnamon Spread is softer and easier to spread.

Ingredients:
½ cup butter or margarine (cold)
2 c flour – all purpose
1 tbsp. baking powder (double acting if available)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼  tsp. salt
½ cup warm water

1 apple - diced 
1 cup pecan halves ( not necessary but oh so delicious)





Procedure:
  1. Combine dry ingredients in a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if doing this by hand.
  2. Add cold butter and cut into flour with the paddle attachment. (by hand cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives).
  3. Mix until mealy, until the butter is pea size.
  4. Add warm water and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are mixed in about 1 minute.
  5. Remove from bowl and place on floured board or counter.
  6. Cut dough in half to work with one half of the dough at a time.
  7. Roll out dough with a rolling pin so it resembles a rectangle 
  8. Spread a thin layer (approx. 1  cup) of Buttery Cinnamon Spread onto dough making sure all surfaces are covered including the corners.
  9. Place ½ of the diced (unpeeled) apples and pecans in a  row in the middle of your dough on top of the cinnamon filling (this keeps the apples and pecans from falling out)
  10. Roll dough up into a log roll.
  11. Cut into 6 equal pieces (or 8 if smaller pieces are needed) with a metal scraper or a knife.
  12. Place onto a parchment lined baking tray. With your clean fingers,  open up the top of each of the Apple Cinnamon Swirls so that each swirl looks the same.
  13. Continue on with the second half of the dough using the same procedure. 
  14. Bake for 15 minutes @ 375° or until lightly golden brown.
  15. Remove from oven when golden brown and immediately drizzle with glaze (see below).
  16. Serve hot.





Glaze for drizzling:
½ c icing sugar
2 tsp.  Water
1 tablespoon   vanilla  (if vanilla is not available use water as a substitute)
Put above in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside to glaze hot cinnamon biscuits.







Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com



Shortbread Cookies - the best traditional old fashioned oatmeal shortbread ever!

By: Chef Miriam Borys
Ingredients:
½ cup large oats (not the instant or quick oatmeal)

1 ½ cups         all purpose flour
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ cup cornstarch
⅔ cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 cup cold butter (½ lb.)
½ cup flour for rolling out the dough (discard after use, 
do not add back into original flour source as it may be contaminated)
Measure oats into a food processor and process until oats are a fine powder. Set aside.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. This step isn’t totally necessary but sifting does remove tiny lumps and makes the dry ingredients finer. Add processed oats to the flour mixture.
Cut up cold butter into small chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Soften the butter slightly by rotating the blades until butter is creamy.
Slowly add all the dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients form into a soft ball of dough.
Remove from the mixer and wrap in parchment and let chill for ½ an hour before rolling. 
Cut the dough into 4 pieces for easier handling.
Lightly dust the counter or cutting board with a sprinkling of flour. Do not over flour as this will dry out your dough.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin (or a clean bottle) until the dough is all the same thickness of approximately ¼ of an inch.
Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter or cut with a sharp knife into desired shapes. You can also use the top of a drinking glass for a round cookie shape.
Place cookies (so as not touching each other) on an engrossed, parchment-lined baking tray.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees first and then bake until still white but slightly browned on the edges for approximately 6 minutes. Careful not to over bake. The baking time depends on the accuracy of your oven. I now realize that some ovens, especially the older ones do not register accurately, so watch your cookies so they don’t get too brown.





Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com



Sunday, December 8, 2013

Toasted Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies


By: Chef Miriam Borys

Yield:  3 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:

¼ lb. Butter (½ cup)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour ( or ½ cup a p flour & ½ cup wholewheat flour)
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup  large oat flakes (not instant) (can be baked for 7-8 minutes at 350 and let cool first)
½ cup coconut flakes
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2  tsp. Salt
1 cup of chocolate chips or more (I use 1/2 dark and 1/2 milk chocolate chips)


In a mixer or by hand cream room temperature butter and sugars together. Add the egg and and vanilla and continue to mix.
  1. Add all the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms cookie dough
  2. Add chocolate chips of choice.
  3. Scoop to bake or roll in parchment paper to freeze for later use.
  4. Bake cookies at 350° for 15 minutes 
Options: The sky is the limit for these delicious cookies
¼ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup dark chocolate
1 peanut butter bar broken up into chunks
1 cup of dried cranberries or cran- raisins for the festive season


Friday, November 29, 2013

Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


By: Chef Miriam Borys

Yield:  4 doz. 1 oz. cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup toasted hazelnuts (nuts can be omitted if desired)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ lb. Butter (½ cup)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. Vanilla
1 cup  large oat flakes (not instant) (can be baked for 10 minutes at 350 and let cool first)
½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/2  tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
½ to 1 cup of chocolate chips

Note: if you choose not to add hazelnuts make sure you add a total of 1 cup of flour to this recipe
  1. If using hazelnuts add ½ cup white flour with 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts to a food processor and combine until small chunks and slightly powdery. Set aside for later use in this recipe.
  2. In a mixer or by hand cream butter, sugars & egg.
  3. Add all dry ingredients including the flour/hazelnut mixture from the processor and mix until it form cookie dough
  4. Add chocolate chips of choice.
  5. Scoop to bake or roll in parchment paper to freeze for later use.
  6. Bake cookies at 350° for 10-12 minutes.
Options: The sky is the limit for these delicious cookies
¼ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup dark chocolate
1 peanut butter bar broken up into chunks


Saturday, November 16, 2013

Sour Cream Bumbleberry Pie with Guest Baker Sophia-Kathryn


Or as seen on KSTC9 Just Desserts (November 2/13 http://kcts9.org/kcts-9-cooks/kcts-9-cooks-just-desserts

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

PASTRY (yields 5 small pies)

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 lb. shortening
4 tbsp.  white vinegar
1 cup ice water
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Pastry Assembly
  1. Mix together flour, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.
  2. Cut up shortening into small cubes, return to cooler to keep cold.
  3. Add vinegar and egg to liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork.
  4. Add enough ice cold water to egg/vinegar mixture to make a total of 1 ¼ cup of liquid.
  5. Place measured dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  6.   Add shortening and with a knife or a pastry blender start cutting the shortening in to the flour until all the shortening is broken up and about the size of a quarter and mealy. 
  7. Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture and combine until the pastry is formed and comes together. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. 
  8. Roll dough up into a flat disc and wrap in parchment paper and place in a clean plastic bag and store in the fridge until needed.
Miriam's Time Saving Tip Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies freeze the remaining pastry for use later.

SOUR CREAM PIE FILLING

1 egg
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
In a bowl mix together egg, granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, and sour cream. Whisk to remove lumps. This is the sour cream filling that will be poured over the rhubarb before the pie is baked.

CRUMBLE TOPPING
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup melted butter
Melt butter. In a small bowl mix flour and brown sugar with melted butter. Set aside for topping.

PIE ASSEMBLY - for 2 small pies
12 cups mixed berries (strawberries, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry)
1/4 cup flour, minit tapioca or Clear Jel (available from bakery supply companies)

Cut the pastry into 4 or 5 chunks. 
On a well floured surface shape the pastry into a round disc. It is easier to get a round shape when starting with a round shape. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry out carefully until thin and approximately 1 ½ inches larger than the rim of your pie plate. 
Mix fruit with flour or tapioca first.
Line the bottom of  unbaked pie shell with fruit frozen or fresh. If using fresh you may need a bit more.
Pour sour cream filling over fruit.
Sprinkle crumble topping over fruit and sour cream filling. 
Bake in a 350 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes until mixture just starts to bubble out and pastry is golden brown.



Sour Cream Bumbleberry Pie with Guest Baker Sophia-Kathryn 


Delicious Option:
Sour Cream Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie
Reduce sugar to 1 cup and the rhubarb to 4 cups.
Add 3 cups of strawberries.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip If using a stand mixer in pastry making do not multi task. Stay at the mixer and pulse the machine on and off until the flour and shortening are slightly mixed but not totally combined. There should still be big size chunks of shortening showing and plenty of loose flour. Do not be alarmed at this because if you go too far at this stage you will ruin the pastry. 


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Tacos with Sophia-Kathryn - easy, delicious & nutritious cooking for children


Recipe By: Sophia-Kathryn and Chef Miriam 

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
Hard tacos - 2 + per person
1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix of choice
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp. Sweet ginger garlic seasoning from ‘Simply Asia’
5 sea scallops - sliced after cooked
½ cup tomatoes - diced
½ cup bell peppers - diced
¼ cup green onions- diced
½ cup sour cream
½  cup cheese of choice - grated
1 cup salsa
1 cup spinach (fresh) or lettuce of choice

Coat diced chicken in the ginger garlic seasoning and sauté on medium heat until cooked (until the juices run clear or an internal temp of 170 degrees). Set aside for filling the tacos.

Cook ground beef until pink is gone, drain grease off and add 1 package of taco seasoning and 1 cup of water. Allow to cook down so the water and seasoning is absorbed.

Pan fry scallops in butter until cooked (left over salmon is also a great option for tacos) and cool slightly.

Rinse all vegetables under cold water and dice small. We used a mandolin* for easy dicing.  Place each diced vegetable in a separate small bowl for easy access.

Transfer sour cream & salsa to separate bowls so that the original containers remain clean and people don’t cross contaminate.

Preheat oven to 300 and warm up hard taco shells for 5 minutes.

Place fillings in a row on a counter or table so that all toppings are easily reached by children and adults.  Have each person place a taco shell in a bowl (hold upright with fingers) and fill with your choice of fillings.
Top with sour cream & salsa.

Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.


* a mandolin is a fabulous time saving kitchen tool that slices and dices very quickly.





Monday, November 4, 2013

Pork Tenderloin with mushroom thyme pan sauce




Recipe Title: Pork Tenderloin with mushroom thyme pan sauce 
By: Miriam Borys
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
3   pork tenderloins (500g each approx.) 
2 tbsp. Oil (to rub on pork)
2 tbsp.  Butter ( for pork) 

For Pan sauce
4 tbsp. Butter

3 tsp. All purpose flour
1 - 2 cup broth (chicken)
1  cup white wine
3 cups mushrooms of choice (cermini are my choice)  sliced mushrooms - sauteed ahead of time
a sprig of thyme... add to the pan gravy for an amazing taste

Rub for Tenderloin
3 tbsp.  Dijon mustard
2 tsp. thyme leaves ( or 1 tbsp. Dried thyme)



Preheat oven to 400ºF. Keep your oven hot.
Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub a small amount of oil on each tenderloin and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Heat large fry pan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. Butter and melt. Sear (brown) each tenderloin for approx. 4 min. or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. ( this is the browning phase not the cooking phase)
Transfer meat to baking dish, reserving drippings in the frying pan for mushrooms and the pan sauce. 
Mix mustard and thyme together in a bowl; spread onto the top of the cooked tenderloin.

Bake seared tenderloins in a hot oven for approximately 20 minutes at 400 degrees until still slightly pink on the inside but the red juices are not running. Don’t over cook. Transfer to carving board; tent with foil. The pork will continue to cook and will be perfectly done in 10 minutes. Let stand.


While pork is in the oven, heat pan up again and add 2 tbsp. Butter and 2 tbsp. Olive oil to fry pan. Sauté mushrooms until slightly brown. Remove from pan and hold.
Add more butter and oil to frying pan. Melt and add flour. Stir flour into drippings and butter and let is dissolve. Now deglaze (add to remove dripping from bottom of the pan) with the white wine first and then add broth. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add sautéed mushroom and continue to cook and reduce pan sauce by ¼. Add more broth if too thick. Cook for a few minutes. 


perfect pork tenderloin with thyme pan sauce
After pork has rested cut meat into thin slices. Serve topped with mushroom pan sauce. 
Serve over steamed rice and vegetables of choice.

Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'







dijon mustard



add thyme and dijon to the top of the seared tenderloin

delicious mushroom and thyme pan gravy



Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com


Saturday, November 2, 2013

Sour Cream Rhubarb Strawberry Pie


Recipe Title: Sour Cream Rhubarb Strawberry Pie ** (click here to go directly
to my YouTube video of this recipe) as seen on KSTC9 Just 

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:
PASTRY
5 cups all-purpose flour      
2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 lb. shortening
3 tbsp.  white vinegar
1 cup ice water
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Pastry Assembly
  1. Mix together flour, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.
  2. Cut up shortening into small cubes, return to cooler to keep cold.
  3. Add vinegar and egg to liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork.
  4. Add enough ice cold water to egg/vinegar mixture to make a total of 1 ¼ cup of liquid.
  5. Place measured dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  6.   Add cold shortening and with a knife or a pastry blender start cutting the shortening in to the flour until all the shortening is broken up and about the size of a quarter and mealy. 
  7. Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture and combine until the pastry is formed and comes together. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. 
  8. Roll dough up into a flat disc and wrap in parchment paper and place in a clean plastic bag and store in the fridge until needed.
Miriam's Time Saving Tip Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies freeze the remaining pastry for use later.

SOUR CREAM RHUBARB PIE FILLING (enough for two small pies or one large pie)

1 egg
1  cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
3 tblsp. Irish Cream Liqueur (optional but delicious)

In a bowl mix together egg, granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, and sour cream. Whisk to remove lumps. This is the sour cream filling that will be poured over the rhubarb before the pie is baked.

CRUMBLE TOPPING
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup melted butter
Melt butter. In a small bowl mix flour and brown sugar with melted butter. Set aside for topping.
PIE ASSEMBLY
4-5 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb
3 cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen)

On a well floured surface shape a piece of the pastry into a round disc. It is easier to get a round pie shape when starting with a round shape. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry out carefully until thin and approximately 1 ½ inches larger than the rim of your pie plate. 
Wash and dice rhubarb into small chunks. No need to peel rhubarb.
Line the bottom of one unbaked pie shell with fresh rhubarb (& strawberries if desired...see below for instructions)
Pour sour cream filling over fruit.
Sprinkle crumble topping over fruit and sour cream filling. 
Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes and reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes more until mixture just starts to bubble out and pastry is golden brown.
Delicious Option:
Sour Cream Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie
Reduce sugar to 1 cup and the rhubarb to 4 cups.
Add 3 cups of strawberries.
** My friend Maggie has a memory from her childhood of a delicious sour cream pie that her Mom, Helen Patterson used to make on the prairie in Saskatchewan for her family. This pie recipe is dedicated to Helen as it is her recipe for the sour cream filling that inspired this creation.  Thanks Helen!
Miriam's Time Saving Tip If using a stand mixer in pastry making do not multi task. Stay at the mixer and pulse the machine on and off until the flour and shortening are slightly mixed but not totally combined. There should still be big size chunks of shortening showing and plenty of loose flour. Do not be alarmed at this because if you go too far at this stage you will ruin the pastry. 





my niece Sophia Kathryn wins a blue ribbon

Last year Sophia Kathryn, my 9 year old niece, entered a rhubarb strawberry pie in the Metchosin Country Fair.  Wow...she won the top prise...best pie entry.  Such a talented baker...she definately is so talented and so young!

KCTS Up Next

What a fun time in Seattle with all the wonderful people at KCTS9 Cooks.  Chef Carol and Mark were gracious hosts who immediately put me at ease and helped make my time on camera almost flawless.  The fact that I missed the sugar and salt in the pastry was totally forgotten and we carried on as if all was perfect. Thanks Nicole Metcalf (KCTS9 Producer) for choosing my recipe to share with your viewing audience...it was a pleasure!