Yeast (Belgian) Waffles

Here is a tasty alternative to the standard waffle that plays exceptionally well as a side to chicken in the classic Chicken and Waffle Combo. Give this one a try, you’ll thank me.

- Chez

• 1 3/4 cups milk


• 8 tablespoons butter , cut into pieces


• 2 cups bread flour


• 1 tablespoon sugar


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast


• 2 large eggs


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

Directions:

1. Heat butter and milk together in a small pan until butter is melted (about 3 to 5 minutes).
2. Cool milk mixture until it is warm to the touch.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt and yeast together.
4. Gradually add warm milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla; then add to the butter/flour mix.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
7. When you are ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron.
8. Once the iron is hot, remove the waffle mix from the fridge (batter will be doubled in size and be foamy).
9. Whisk batter until smooth- it will deflate.
10. Spoon 1/2 cup onto hot waffle iron and cook until waffles are crisp.
11. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low temperature oven.

Scratch Mushroom Soup

Sometimes the theme for the dinner is the date, or perhaps it is a holiday, but in the case of the dinner of 1/8/12 the theme was derived from the cocktail and while it didn’t win the Star it still represented well and will be forever remembered as the inspiration for the dinner.

So who did win? Well, that would be the ‘Made from Scratch’ Mushroom Soup. Give it a try and see if you agree that it is a ‘keeper’.
- Chez

Ingredients

1 1/2 c dried mushrooms (your choice)
3 c fresh mushrooms quartererd
32 oz vegetable stock
16 oz water
1 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs Italian seasonings
2 tbs dried thyme leaves
2 tbs dry sherry
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tbsp flour or cornstarch
8 oz sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
chopped dill and dash of pepper, for garnish

1 Put dried mushrooms in a pot and cover them with 2 cups boiling water. Cover pot and let stand to soak until they are soft. This depends on the mushroom you use. This may take a few minutes.

2 After they are softened, rinse them and chop them up into diced bits, or into strips. Reserve mushroom water.

3 In your soup pot, add all mushrooms, mushroom water, Italian seasonings and the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.

4 In a saucepan, sautee onions in all the butter and thyme until brown and tender. Deglaze with sherry and add onions and butter to the pot.

5 In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a ladle or two of the hot soup. Whisk until all lumps are gone. Add it all back to the soup.

6 Stir in the sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

7 Garnish with chopped dill & pepper and serve.

Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin

New Year's Day and pork just work well together and here is a dish that says "Happy New Year, y'all!" 100% easy and 110% great tasting... I dare you to try it!



- Chez






For Brining pork

• 8 cups water


• 1/3 cup kosher salt


• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)


• 2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns


• 2 sprigs fresh sage


• 1 large garlic clove, smashed


• 3 Turkish or 2 California bay leaf


• 1 (4- to 4 1/2-lb) boneless pork loin roast

For Roasting Pork

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped


• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage


• 5 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)


• 5 tablespoon cider vinegar


• 16 bacon slices (about 1 lb)

Brine pork: Combine all brining ingredients except pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Pour brine into a deep 4- to 5-quart pot; cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.

Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine, and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Roast pork: Pat pork dry (discard brine) and remove any strings, then transfer to a roasting pan.

Stir together garlic, sage, and syrup in a small sauce pan and heat over medium high until reduced by half. allow to cool.

Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.

"Paint" roast with syrup mixture and roast pork until thermometer registers 140°F, about 1 1/4 hours.

Brush pork with syrup/vinegar reduction and continue to roast until internal temp reaches 150°F, about 10 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a lip and let roast stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Carve and serve.