Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

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

Sour Cream Bumbleberry Pie with Guest Baker Sophia-Kathryn

Recipe Title: 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. 

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

Tacos with Sophia-Kathryn - easy, delicious & nutritious cooking for children (click here to go to the YouTube video for this recipe)

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.

'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

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

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'

http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee

blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com

Website: www.miriamborys.com

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

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 

Desserts (November 2/13 http://kcts9.org/kcts-9-cooks/kcts-9-cooks-just-desserts

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!

KCTS9 JUST DESSERTS IS ON THE AIR!!! and my pie is coming up soon!

I am just so excited to be in Seattle with Carl and to be invited to make this fabulous pie and to share it with all our friends in Canada and now in Seattle on KCTS 9 Just Desserts. Check out this link to follow along on Facebook!
This week at my school, Burnaby Central Secondary, we had this very same pie on the menu and the students in my cafeteria and chef training classes spent a lot of time making and perfecting this pie. We served hundreds of pieces and the students and staff at the school we grateful and wanting more.

Stay tuned for more from Seattle!

Mark (co-host of KCTS9 Just Desserts)

Chef Carol the co-host of KCTS9 Just Desserts

my prep is ready to go....yipeee!

The guest cooks with Chef Carol