Chive Popovers: Easy & Delicious with Roast Beef

Whenever we serve a Prime Rib of Beef, I always make my version of a Yorkshire pudding, because what is a roast without all the trimmings? A classic Yorkshire pudding is a sight to behold, puffing up like a chef's hat, only to collapse in the middle after you remove it from the oven. The problem is, I've never been able to master the traditional 'pud'. I find it rather bland anyway. My challenge was to find a recipe that would be as spectacular, would taste better, and wouldn't collapse. Hence, my Chive Popover. The name 'popover' comes from the fact that the batter swells or 'pops' over the top of the muffin tin while baking. The recipe isn't so terribly difficult, simply eggs, milk, salt and flour, which forms an eggy batter similar to that of a Yorkshire pudding — but it tastes better. I've made these popovers on countless occasions, and they have worked every time. Fresh from the oven, they're a wonderful golden brown with a crisp exterior and soft middle, and I love they way they rise from the muffin tin in a topsy turvy manner. I normally bake the popovers while the roast is resting, so they're ready to serve lovely and hot straight from the oven. I add chives to my batter, which I feel enhances the flavour and makes them look festive and inviting. 

Delicious served with Roast Prime Rib of Beef

Chive Popovers

Makes 12

1 1/2 tbsp butter, softened for pans

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

3 large eggs

Fresh chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix the flour, salt, milk, eggs and chopped chives and whisk until it forms a pancake-like batter. This can be done ahead of time, covering and refrigerating the batter until ready. Grease the muffin tin generously with softened butter (note: the larger the muffin tin; the larger the popover). Place the tin in oven for 2 minutes to melt the butter and heat the pan. Remove the hot muffin tin from the oven, and fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake 30 minutes but don't peak! Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Apple Cake with Sweet Sugar Glaze

The perfect dessert for Autumn, this deliciously moist Cinnamon Apple Cake is packed with fresh apples and features a crunchy cinnamon topping and drizzled with a sweet milk and sugar glaze. Made using yogurt and vegetable oil rather than milk and butter, makes the cake wonderfully fluffy. 

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Jennifer Holmes

Apple cake:

210 g / 1 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

150 g / 3/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup red apple, peeled and roughly chopped

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

120 ml / 1/2 cup vegetable oil

120 ml / 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Cinnamon topping:

50 g / 1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp butter, melted

Sugar glaze:

30 g / 1/4 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350°F, with convection bake if available. Grease and line an 8 or 9 inch round cake tin with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Add chopped apple and stir briefly to combine. In a separate bowl, add eggs, vanilla, oil and yoghurt. Whisk briefly just to break up the egg yolks.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon until combined, being careful not to over mix. Spoon the batter into prepared tin.

To make cinnamon topping, combine cinnamon, sugar and butter. Mix together until lumpy and wet, thens sprinkle over the cake batter.

Bake cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix together the icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk, and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze all over the cake and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or spoonful of iced cream.

Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies

 

For the true lemon lover, these crisp Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are a delicious tangy treat. A cross between a buttery shortbread and crunchy cookie, this easy recipe is a lovely fresh alternative to traditional Christmas shortbread. Flecked with fragrant lemon zest, tart lemon juice and crunchy poppy seeds, they make the perfect holiday cookie or afternoon treat with a simple cup of tea.

Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies
Makes 36
Recipe adapted from Dinner Then Dessert

1 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt


Add the butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then add in the egg and egg yolk until they are fully combined. Add in the vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds then lower the speed and add in the flour and salt until just combined. Place the dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before rolling out onto a clean floured surface 1/8" thick. 

Press out with a 3-inch fluted cookie cutter and bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight cookie tin.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Cheddar & Thyme

 

One of the ultimate comfort foods, Scalloped Potatoes must be one of our favourite side dishes, especially when we're expecting a large group of ravenous friends for dinner. Rich, creamy and full of flavour, there are many versions of this classic gratin. My Mom used to make it using a can of Campbell's mushroom soup. Although we often add sliced onions, grated cheese, nutmeg or fresh thyme, our core recipe starts with sliced russet potatoes layered in a garlic rubbed baking dish, smothered in a combination of whole milk and cream then dotted with a butter. If I use onions and cheese, I add them with each layer of potato then cover with the cream mixture and top with a final flurry of grated cheese and sprigs of fresh thyme. Baked in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are bubbling and golden brown, the wonderful aroma will entice guests into the kitchen well before the dinner bell rings.

Scalloped Potatoes
Serves 6

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 lb yellow potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
1/4 tsp ground white and black pepper

Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Rinse the sliced potatoes in cold water and pat dry in a towel. Rub a shallow earthenware dish with the garlic cloves and butter well. Arrange the sliced potatoes and onions in layers in the baking dish, starting with a layer of onions on the bottom, and season with salt and pepper. Dot with the remaining butter, pour the cream overtop and finish with grated cheddar over the assembled gratin. Transfer the baking dish to oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. During the last 10 minutes, turn the heat up to 400°F to brown the top of the potatoes so that they become golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let the dish stand for 5 minutes, before serving the scalloped potatoes directly from the baking dish, with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Pan-Fried Colcannon Cakes with Poached Eggs

Fried potato cakes made from leftover colcannon, a traditional Irish dish made with mashed potatoes, leeks and cabbage made with a generous dollop of butter and cream, makes a luscious Sunday breakfast served under perfectly runny poached eggs. Simply pan fry the leftover colcannon in butter until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and serve with silky Hollandaise and chopped chives with champagne and orange juice for an even more decadent weekend treat.

Pan-Fried Colcannon Cakes with Poached Eggs

Serves 2

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes

Kosher salt

3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 leek, white & light green only, sliced in half lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise

1 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup packed shredded savoy cabbage, from 1/8 large head, divided

3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

1 scallion or bunch of chives, thinly sliced

Cover potatoes with water in a small pot; season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until a paring knife slides easily through the flesh, about 30 minutes. Drain, let cool slightly, and peel.

Meanwhile, melt half of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant and leeks are just beginning to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes longer. Add 1/2 cup cabbage and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted. Add milk and cream and bring to a simmer.

Add potatoes and remaining 1/2 cup cabbage, then coarsely mash with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer colcannon to a large serving bowl. Top with remaining butter and sprinkle with scallion or chopped chives. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties. 

Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper. 

To serve, place a colcannon cake on each warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. 

Dorie Greenspan's Luscious French Apple Cake

 

This gorgeous recipe by award-winning cookbook writer Dorie Greenspan, is a deceptively simple and delicious Apple Cake from her cookbook, "Around My French Table". Full of entertaining stories, memories, and insider tips on French culinary customs, Greenspan shares dishes she gathered over years of living in France. Inspired by a recipe by her friend Marie-Hélène Brunet-Lhotse, Greenspan watched her in her kitchen, in the hopes of nabbing a recipe by observation, but found it impossible. "Like so many really good cooks, Marie-Hélène starts off with a set of ingredients, but, once she starts mixing, stirring, boiling, baking, or sautéing, she makes so many mid-cooking adjustments that you just have to throw up your hands and content yourself with being the lucky recipient". 

"And so it was with this apple cake, which is more apple than cake, rather plain but very appealing in its simplicity: the chunks of apple make a bumpy, golden top, and so satisfying that we all went back for seconds. Despite knowing that it was futile, I asked for the recipe, and, of course, Marie-Hélène didn't really know" — "It's got two eggs, sugar, flour, and melted butter - oh, and rum," she said. "I mix the eggs and sugar together and then I add some flour, some butter, some flour, and some butter." When asked how much flour and butter, Greenspan got a genuinely apologetic shrug, and when asked what kind of apples she used, the answer was, divers, or different kinds. Thank goodness Greenspan was so tenacious, for she succeeded in transcribing Marie-Hélène's sensational recipe for us all to share for evermore.

Dorie Greenspan peeling apples for her French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake

Serves 8

Recipe adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups mixed apples, such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, or Gala

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp dark rum

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the centre of the oven. Using some of the melted butter, brush the inside of a 6 or 8-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl and set aside. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or electric mixer until they are foamy. Add the sugar, rum, vanilla, cardamom, and lemon zest and whisk to blend. Add in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it's coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and smooth out the top with the spatula.

Place the cake on a baking sheet and bake for 60-70 minutes for an 8-inch cake or about 2 hours for a 6-inch cake, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully remove the sides of the cake pan, making sure no apples are stuck to it. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake onto a serving dish and dust with icing sugar.

Stir Fried Thai Rice Noodles with Chicken & Gai Lan

 

Pad See Ew, also known as Stir Fried Soy Sauce Noodles, is a Chinese-influenced noodle dish, and one of the most popular street foods in Thailand. The soft and chewy rice noodles are traditionally pan fried with chicken, beef or pork, Chinese broccoli — known as Gai Lan — scrambled egg and dark soy sauce. Inspired by a mouthwatering recipe from renowned Australian chef David Thompson, widely recognised as an authority on Thai food and culture, his celebrated cookbook 'Thai Food' is a comprehensive account of this ancient and exotic cuisine and features all of the classic, well-loved recipes as well as hundreds of lesser known but equally authentic and delicious Thai dishes that have been handed down from generation to generation, such as the sensational Pad See Ew. Quick, easy and delicious, the dish takes less than 5 minutes to cook, and captures the essence of one of Thailand's ultimate comfort foods.

Stir Fried Soy Sauce Thai Noodles with Chicken & Gai Lan

Serves 2

Sauce:
2 tbsp dark soy sauce or 'ketjap manis', an Indonesian sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce 
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp palm or brown sugar
2 tbsp water

Stir Fry:
6 oz wide flat Thai rice stick noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
12 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 large egg
4 cups Chinese broccoli, also known as Gai Lan 
Pinch of fresh ground white pepper 
Handful of bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 1-2 hours, then drain. Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the gai lan and trim 1-inch from the end of each stalk and discard. Separate the leaves from the stems and reserve both. Chop the leaves into 1-inch pieces, then slice the stems vertically into thin 1-inch long strips. Mince the garlic straight into a wok or large pot with the oil and place on high heat. When the oil is hot and the garlic begins to colour, add the chicken and continue to fry until the chicken is almost cooked. Add the noodles and gai lan stalks and once they are cooked, about 4 minutes, crack in the egg and stir fry to scramble. Add the sauce and leaves, folding gently to combine, and stir continuously until everything is well combined. The sauce should coat the noodles evenly and become lightly caramelized. The dish should be served immediately sprinkled with fresh ground white pepper and garnished with bean sprouts and fresh cilantro.