Peanut Butter Cookies

These are some super simple, classic homemade cookies, the dough freezes well so you can prep ahead of time or just make extra so its ready to use the next time you want it, the base recipes for these type of cookies are pretty much the same where ever you look, its more a mater of what you bring to it that gives it your own distinctive flare, you might add nuts, you might add chocolate or other type of chips, you might add fruit, or jelly, or any combination there of, in this case I have baked two types of cookies both of which have peanut butter in some form in them, at any rate I have made these cookies several times before, and the recipes work great and they will hold for 1 or 2 weeks stored in a sealed container, they also freeze well

If you are baking peanut butter and jelly cookies when the dough has been mixed remove half the and add 150g macadamia nuts to the mixer, mix to combine then add jelly (recipe follows)

Shopping List

Butter

Peanut butter

Baker’s sugar

Brown or dark brown sugar

Eggs

Vanilla

Unbleached AP flour

Baking powder

Baking soda

Salt

My Mad Method

Ready to tray up!!

Cream 250g butter, 250g peanut butter, 160g white sugar, and 160g brown sugar together

Add 2 eggs beaten, along with 1ts vanilla

Sift together 400g all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1.5tsp baking soda, and a 1/2tsp salt; add to the batter, mix to combine

 

Form cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper cover and rest in refrigerator for 1-2 hours

Partially flatten, make a simple crisscross pattern using the back of a fork, bake in the center of a 175c preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes

   Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie: partially flatten cookies, using the back of a table spoon (TBSP) 

Add 1-2ts fruit jelly, bake in the center of a 175c preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes

I am using strawberry jelly

 

 

 

 

 

Chef Mik's Super Simple In-Home BBQ Ribs!

In lieu of a smoker and the 8 to10 hours it takes to prepare great smoky barbeque ribs this is a great way to prepare your own at home!!

The recipe is super simple and the end product is guaranteed super tender and juicy as can be!!

Now you can get away with using a store bought sauce if you like and don’t have the time, but I highly recommend making your own and finishing it with a hint of liquid smoke.

For those of you not familiar with liquid smoke it is simply moisture that naturally occurs as water turns to steam and becomes trapped in the smoke then as it cools again it reverts back to water that settles in the chamber, the addition of extra water is then added for volume and to dilute any bitter taste or residue left over from the smoke

When the ribs are done, I will be taking one extra step using my smoking gun and just adding a little extra smoky something, something!! For the record this last step is by all means not a necessity

Shopping List

One rack of baby back or pork loin back ribs

1 onion cut into medium dice

1 carrot pealed and sliced

3 celery stalks sliced

1 or 2 garlic cloves sliced

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp granulated garlic

10 to 15 black pepper corn

2 to 3 bay leaves

Water just to cover

BBQ Sauce

2.5 dl ketchup

1 dl maple syrup

2 TBSP molasses

2 TBSP white or brown sugar

1 clove garlic minced

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 -2 mustard powder

Salt and pepper to taste 

My Mad Method

Finished ribs ready to serve!!

Clean the ribs and if need be divide in half to fit in pot, add the vegetables, herbs, spices and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil lower the temperature and poach the ribs gently for 45 minutes to an hour

Meanwhile in a separate pot add all the ingredients for the sauce bring to a quick boil stirring intermediately

When the sauce is done set aside until ready to use

Season the ribs lightly with salt and black pepper, and baste the ribs well on both sides with barbeque sauce 

Place the ribs in a foil packet (generous piece of foil folded over and around the ribs) and bake on low temperature about 110c (circa 225f) for 2 hours or until desired tenderness

I am placing the finished ribs in a half pan covered with plastic wrap which I have pulled back the edge of one corner just far enough to insert the hose of my smoking gun and filled it with smoke sealing the container again and just let it sit until service...

 

 

Chef Mik's Lemon Orange Chicken

This is one of the first dishes I ever created as a child together with my mother, I have always loved the flavor combination that is lemon and orange along with garlic and ginger I use the lemon-orange flavor profile for many of my baked goods as well. At any rate while the flavor combo may remain the same my method often changes depending on need sometimes braised, sometimes grilled or BBQ and sometime breaded with a dipping sauce. That said, the way I am preparing it today (braised in a Dutch oven) is one of my personal favorites and easiest for sure!! Its summer here in L.A. which may not be saying much but trying to stay in a summery state of mind I have baked some jalapeño cord bread, along with orange infused wild rice and creamed baby spinach with crème fraîche and parmesan a happy plate to be sure! But not for everybody so I always suggest serving it with what you like braised chicken with and see what you think, as for me, well I’m heading back for seconds!

Shopping List

Chicken thighs, bone in skin on (I have removed it)

Oranges

Lemons

Garlic

Ginger

Onion

Chicken stock or broth

Thyme

Cayenne pepper

Ancho chili

Paprika

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

My Mad Method

Finished dish shown here on a bed of wild rice together with creamed spinach and jalapeño corn bread 

Season chicken with the juice of one orange, one lemon, one garlic clove minced, 1 tsp ginger minced, one tsp each orange peal and lemon peal, cayenne, ancho to taste and I tsp thyme. Marinate up to three hours 

Combine the juice of two oranges, two lemons, one to two cloves garlic minced, one to two tsp ginger minced, one tsp each lemon and orange peal, one tsp thyme, one tsp paprika, cayenne and ancho chili to taste 

Sauté one half onions in oil or clarified butter

Add the chicken skin side down and brown about three minutes 

Flip and continue to brown two or three minutes longer

Add two dl’s chicken stock or broth deglaze the pan and reduce by about half add the reserved juice, bring to boil cover reduce temperature and simmer for about forty five minute to an hour

When the meat is cooked through remove turn off heat, fish out chicken and thicken the sauce with one large tsp of corn starch or arrowroot diluted in a little water or stock/broth restore the pot to the stove top bring to a quick boil 

Ready to serve!!

                      

 

 

 

   

 

Chef Mik's Asian Style Coleslaw

I don’t know that I would even be posting this recipe save for the fact my brother was in town for a few weeks. During which time I prepared this simple dish one night, low and behold both he and his family loved it so much so in fact he asked for the recipe! I should also confess I love miso in all its salty yeasty goodness and look for most any excuse to use it! 

If you aren’t that familiar with miso it is basically fermented soybean paste and taste like it , but paired together with a little bonito broth and you have the makings of a great soup, cut with a nice sweet wine reduction and lots of butter and you have a great beurre blanc, this sauce goes great with grilled tuna or salmon! Or heck you can even add it to egg custard base and through some other goodies in the batch and bang go presto you’ve got either Crème brûlée or ice cream! Though for the faint of heart you might want to stick with the green tea ice cream…

At any rate today I am using miso as the base for my salad dressing it will act as the binding agent helping to emulsify it. However it should be stated and can’t be stressed enough; be sure to dilute it enough so it will not be overwhelming! As for acid today I am only using rice wine vinegar though sometimes I will add a little lime juice. Also while I am using canola oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil will do. As for flavor enhancers I like to add a lot of ginger, and sesame oil to this particular dressing which is where the dressing would normally end however as I will be dressing one of our (foodperfected’s) more popular lunch side dishes with it I am adding a mayonnaise consonant. This won’t change the flavor profile much other then smoothing it out but it will help the dressing cling to the salad a bit better then it might otherwise

Shopping List

One small head of white cabbage

One eight head red cabbage

One carrot

hot house cucumber

Chinese pickled cucumber

Fresh Coriander

Scallions

Shaved almonds, toasted or toasted black and white sesame seeds

Dressing

White or yellow miso paste

Ginger grated

Honey

Shallots

Rice wine vinegar

Canola (rape seed oil)

Sesame Seed oil

Water, bottled

My Mad Method

Chef Mik’s Asian Style Coleslaw shown here with some poached shrimp 

In a mixing bowl combine 1 dl each: miso paste, and water a ½ dl each rice wine vinegar and honey, 2 tsp ginger minced and 1 tsp minced shallots

Mixed to combine, completely break up miso paste, pore or whisk in just enough oil (mix) to combine

Add a tsp or so of sesame oil , adjust seasoning to taste (I added more sesame oil and ginger)

This is 2 dl's worth of the dressing

Add a heaping TBSP mayonnaise mix to combine, adjust seasons and set aside (I added more sesame oil and ginger)

Shred the cabbage and cut the carrot into strips, (I am cheating and using a prepared cut batch)

Add the cucumber pealed, seeds removed and cut into strips

Add the pickled ginger to taste 

Add fresh chopped coriander sometimes referred to as cilantro to taste, (reserve some for garnish)

Add some sliced scallions to taste, (reserve some for garnish)

Pore over the dressing, mix to combine, refrigerate 2 to 3 hours 

This is what the coleslaw will look like after 2 hours, sample and adjust seasoning to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chef Mik's Old Fashioned Milk Bread

Today I am baking some nice old fashioned “Milk Bread” which had its hay day back around the turn of the last century. Fundamentally this is a simple bread to bake, close to French bread save for the fact that one employs milk instead of water. Not quite pan du mie which requires a starter but still great sandwich bread nevertheless. Many people to this day use it quite regularly in that regard. As for myself, I don’t typically buy bread out here in L.A. as good bread is hard to find. Not to mention I had a bakery myself for a number of years (for those of you familiar with it don’t worry, I still do only we don’t have the store front café any longer) so if I want a sandwich or a dinner roll for my meal, I just bake it myself, for the record when we bake these for work we do so a bit differently but this recipe and method work perfectly well, a great bread!!

Shopping List

Milk

Flour

Yeast, fresh or instant

Sugar

Salt

My Mad Method

Ready to serve!

Begin by combining your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl: 8-9dl flour, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 2tsp instant yeast

 Mix to incorporate

 To this add 3dl milk 1/3 at a time

Mix to a nice smooth dough

Transfer to a well greased bowl, cover with a cloth and proof for 45-50 minutes, punch down the dough, cover proof again for an additional 45-50 minute

When the dough is ready it will be nice and smooth about double in size and feels lighter

  Work the dough, portion and transfer to a well greased mold, and proof for an additional 45-50 minutes (under a cloth). These have already been proofed. I have divided the dough for my form in two for a nice presentation when baked

Brush the top of the dough with an egg wash with just a touch of milk added. Bake in a preheated 200c oven for 1 hour or until it sounds hollow if taped and has good color. I have scored the bread

Here is a roll I made with the additional dough which I coated in black and white sesame seeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chef Mik's Swedish Style Pizza Salad

Swedish Pizza Salad

I have always been of the mind that if coleslaw and sauerkraut got together and had a baby it would be named pizza salad. That said it does rather resemble Israeli egg less coleslaw among countless others found in that part of the world. So I suppose it’s not all that surprising to consider as pizzerias began to sprout up around the Sweden, and people from that region began to migrate up to Sweden to work them, this particular salad also started to pop up around the country. In the end while it may not really be truly Swedish per se, nevertheless it has become a staple which can be found at any pizzeria one stumbles into anywhere in the land! More over it’s super simple to make and well worth the effort. Personally I have been making this salad myself sense the late 80s, and have enjoyed it still longer then that.  One more thing I will confess is this recipe is based on the one in my school cook book, which I went on line and compared to a couple others and they were practically identical so there you go…

Shopping List

White or green Cabbage

Pimentos + juice

Distilled vinegar or better still ättiksprit

Sugar

Canola or extra virgin olive oil

Oregano, dried is the norm but I have chosen fresh

Salt

Cracked black pepper

My Mad Method

Ready to eat!!

Shown here with pizza bread (rolls made of pizza dough) 

Choose a nice cabbage devoid of blemishes and firmly packed

Portion it into 8 equal sections

Finely shred the cabbage and transfer it to a mixing bowl

Dressing ½ dl distilled vinegar, ¼ dl sugar, ½ dl oil, 2 ts pimento juice, 1 ts oregano, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside

Combine one 113g jar pimentos and dressing to the cabbage mix well

Weight down the salad to help break down the cabbage helping it release its juice, store in the refrigerator over night

One day later ready to serve!!