Mixed Fresh Fruits and Greek Yogurt Parfait

The weather's been too warm these past few days which makes me too lazy to cook.  Cooking means having to open all the windows and doors to let out the heat but it also means that I have to turn off the air conditioner.  Too much hassle so I tend to avoid cooking during the day when it tends to be the hottest and reserve cooking at night when the temperature is a little cooler.  Or, opt to make dishes that does not require any cooking and minimal preparation.  This dish is one such dish as it uses fresh fruits and yogurt so no cooking is needed.

I used several fruits and berries that are in season so they can be easily substituted when the season changes.  In this particular parfait, I used blackberries, raspberries, granny smith apple, and fresh turkey figs.  Instead of regular yogurt, I used Greek yogurt which is a lot thicker in consistency.  I also topped the parfait with dehydrated lentil flakes which I purchased from Dragunara at the farmer's market in Fairfax and Third.  The dehydrated lentils provided some crunch to the parfait but it can be easily substituted with granola, if you prefer. If you prefer the parfait to be sweet, you can add a little bit of honey or sugar.

The fresh turkey figs that I used in this dish came from Costco.  At $5.99 per tray of about 18 or more figs, it was a huge bargain compared to the one sold at WholeFoods.  Figs are are just plain ugly on the outside but the insides are so pretty when you slice it.  It has this pinkish and while color which is so attractive when you add to salads or as garnish. And don't even get me started on the taste as they are very tasty and delicious when they ripen. I usually do not peel it but I do wash it really well to remove the fuzzy exterior before slicing or eating it on its own.

Speaking of Dragunara, it is a gem of a spice store located within the farmer's market at Fairfax and Third in Los Angeles.  My friend and I found this little spice haven by accident when we took a different route than we normally take to get to La Surla Table.  Ahh...so happy that we found this place because they sell a lot of spices that are not normally found in regular stores or even WholeFoods, such as dried lavender flowers, dried hibiscus flowers, Szechuan peppercorns, all colors of lentils, different types of salts, etc.  I came out of the store bearing a huge shopping bag full of different spices...ahhh, the place is like an oasis for cooks and food fanatics...

Ingredients:

Brown turkey figs

blackberries

raspberries

granny smith apple or any apple you prefer

2 Tbsp of dehydrated lentil flakes or granola

Greek yogurt

honey, optional

1. Wash, dry and slice fruits.

2. Place a layer Greek yogurt in a container

3. Top with fresh fruit slices.

4. Sprinkle dehydrated lentil flakes or granola on top.

5. Sweeten with honey, if you prefer.

NOTE:  There is really no exact measurements in this dish so you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.

Mango Parfait

Summer!  The only thing I like about it is that it brings with it all the wonderful fruits that I like.  One of those fruits is mango... something that is abundant in the Philippines.  Growing up, I do not remember doing much with mangoes in terms of using it in dishes.  My mom would occasionally use it as an ingredient for agogo ... hehehe not a-gogo dancers but a homemade frozen snack wrapped in a small plastic container made up of milk, fruits, sugar, and water.


... back to mangoes, we usually just eat it raw, either ripe or unripe.  For ripe ones, we just peel and eat.  Of course, you have to discard the pit...hehehe.  For unripe mangoes, we peel it then eat it with salt and soy sauce or with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste)...so delish,

Living in Southern California, I am thankful that we get a lot of tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, buko (young coconut fruit),  and rambutan (occasionally)....even at the regular grocery stores, if you're lucky.



Making this dish is quite simple since the only hard part is peeling, slicing, and throwing the mango flesh into the blender to puree it.  The rest is just layering the other ingredients.  Depending on how sweet the mango is, you can opt to add sugar or not.  I didn't add any on mine since it is sweet enough.  I also puree the fruit since it was ripe and soft without adding any water.  The result is thick and concentrated just like I wanted.

Both the yogurt and granola were bought from WholeFoods the other day.  For yogurt, you can use anything that you prefer- part skim, low fat, non-fat, regular- just make sure that it is plain (or, at least I prefer it that way) to prevent it from competing with the flavor of the mango.



This recipe is great for breakfast and can even be prepared in advance for those mornings when you are in a rush to leave the house.  You can prepare the dish in an airtight container that's easy to transport by placing a layer of mango puree at the bottom then top with a layer of yogurt.  I'd leave adding the granola until the following day though since I am not sure how it will taste after it has been in the refrigerator overnight.  I prefer mine crunchy, not soggy.



This can be a cheaper and healthier alternative to those parfaits sold at places like Starbuck's which you may not think cost that much but the amount can add up if you buy the thing (like I used to) often enough.  Of course, I used to get not only the parfait but also a cup of coffee and bottle of Odwalla juice so I'd spend around $12- $14 easily in the morning.  That adds up to a significant amount in a year.  Money that you can use for more important stuff...like, say a new ice cream maker....opps, was I thinking loudly?  hehehe.  But seriously,for $12- $14 I can already make several servings of this parfait. The other good thing it that you can substitute mango for any fruit or berry that you prefer.



Ingredients:

Mango, peeled and pitted

Plain yogurt

granola

sugar, as needed

1. Place mango slices in a blender and puree.  Add sugar depending on your desired sweetness.

2. In a tall glass, place 3-4 spoonful of pureed mango, then top with a layer of  yogurt and top with granola.

Apple-Cinnamon Pancake with Butter and Maple Syrup

This day started out all wrong. I was awoken by a phone call at a little past 8 am which was way too early for me to wake since I hardly had any sleep the night before and was tossing and turning. I think it was partly due to the pain on my left elbow and partly due to the fact that I took a nap late afternoon the day before. By the time I hang up the phone, I was wide awake and couldn't go back to sleep so I finally dragged myself out of bed, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and went to the kitchen to brew some coffee. I do not know if it was because I was still sleepy or maybe it was just the fact that I wasn't thinking straight but I forgot to place the coffee filter holder before putting the coffee filter and ground coffee on the coffee maker. I went to the living room to turn on the television and watch Gin Tama (Japanese anime series that I am currently watching)while I was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. When I went back to the kitchen a few minutes later, I had a mess on the counter with brewed coffee and coffee granules splattered all over. Ughhh...not good way to start my day, indeed. Luckily, the mess was nothing that a roll of paper and a little elbow grease was able to take care of.

Ahhh... I am not much of a coffee drinker these days and have, for a few years now, been a tea drinker but every now and then I do reach for the coffee mug and trade my tea collection for a cuppa coffee. I think I should just stay on drinking green tea which is a far better choice than coffee...hehehe. Anyway, that incident set me back time-wise so instead of making homemade pesto for my intended chicken pesto panini, I reached for a package of pancake mix to save some time. Store-bought pancake mixes are great to use when you are crunched for time since they only need water addition and ready for cooking. I did, however, added a few key ingredients to make it taste homemade rather than generic. With the addition of grated apple and cinnamon, the taste improved significantly. I drizzled maple syrup with butter and arrange a few slices of apple on top...sinfully yummylicious!!

Ingredients:

2 cups pancake mix
1 1/2 cups cold water (per pancake mix manufacturer's recommendation)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (less if you prefer)
1 apple, cored and then grated oil for cooking

1. In a bowl, add pancake mix and cinnamon powder. Stir until well combined.

 2. Add cold water and mix to moisten ingredients. The batter may still be a little lumpy but try not to overmix.

 3. Stir in grated apple and mix until combined.

 4. Heat a griddle (or skillet) over medium heat.

 5. Grease the entire surface of the griddle or skillet with oil. Do not put too much oil though but just enough to cook the pancake.

 6. When the griddle and oil is hot, add about a quarter or half a cup of the batter into the griddle.

 7. Cook until you see some bubbles on the surface of the batter.

 8. Using a non-stick spatula or turner, carefully loosen the bottom of the pancake and then turn over to cook the other side.

 9. Cook until done which would probably take about a minute to a minute and a half.

 10. Continue cooking until you've used up all the batter. Add oil as needed to prevent the pancake from sticking to the pan.

 11. Serve warm with a few sliced apple arranged on top and drizzled with butter and maple syrup mixture.

Butter and maple syrup compound

Ingredients: 1 (240 ml) bottle of maple syrup

1/2 a block of butter

 1. Cut butter into an inch thickness.

 2. In a small sauce pan, add maple syrup and butter.

 3. Heat over medium to low heat and cook until butter melts.

 4. Stir until well incorporated.

 5. remove from heat and keep warm.

 6. Use this to drizzle over your pancakes or waffles.

Portabella, Baby Spinach, and Feta Cheese Frittata

Woke up tired and a little later than usual this morning... probably because I had coffee late last night which kept me awake until wee hours of the morning.  I was also having more pain than usual on my left elbow and hand that every little movement would jolt me back into a state of wakefulness...hmmm...is that even a right term? Oh, well.  If it isn't then who cares, right?  This isn't one of my grad school paper where every little grammatical and punctuation error is subject to a deduction....hehehe...As I was saying, I didn't get much sleep last night so I naturally woke up late and feeling tired this morning.  I had originally planned to make lasagna today but changed my mind as it requires more steps and prep work than I was willing to exert my effort on.

After getting up, I probably spent a couple of hours watching anime via crunchyroll.com. Anime is an animation style that originates from Japan.  I started watching Gintama today and surprisingly it sounds interesting.  This is only the second anime series that I have seen so far. The first one is Hunter x Hunter which, unfortunately, is still airing in Japan so I have to wait for more episodes to become available before I finish the series.  Although I have heard of and seen bits and pieces of an anime on my numerous visits to the Philippines, mostly due to the fact that my brother watches them, I have never really sat down and watch (on my own accord) an entire anime series until last week.  To my surprise, I entertained to the point that I couldn't wait to see the next episode.  It is not surprising , I guess since I am used to watching drama series (mostly Korean and some Taiwanese) for hours at a time.  What's more surprising though is the fact that my ears seem to have become acclimated to listening to the Japanese language...something that I had a hard time adjusting to when I attempted to watch Japanese dorama in the past.  Strange, isn't it?

Anyways, after a couple of hours my stomach started growling so I dragged myself off the bed and rummaged through the refrigerator's content after a quick shower.  I found different cheeses, fresh baby spinach leaves, portabello, some eggs, and milk so I decided to make frittata which is easy enough to make.  Frittata is an Italian egg-based dish that is similar to an omelette or a quiche.  The egg with addition of vegetables, cheese, and meat is usually cooked on the stove top just until the sides start to set then transferred to the oven to bake until the center is cooked.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup sliced portabello mushroom
1/4 milk
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp parmigiano reggiano

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add eggs, feta cheese, and black pepper.  Beat to mix well.
3. Heat an oven-proof,  non-stick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add oil then garlic and shallot.  Saute until fragrant then add portabello and cook until softened.
5. Add spinach leaves and saute until it welts slightly.  Note: do worry if the spinach seems too much because the volume will be reduced significantly once it has welted.
6. Lower the heat to medium low and add the egg mixture.  Using a fork, stir the mixture slightly until the spinach and mushroom floats to the surface.
7. Continue to cook until the sides begin to set.
8. Sprinkle parmigiano reggiano on top then transfer to a preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the center sets and is cooked through.
9. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Pineapple Cured Pork (Pork Tocino)

Pork Tocino is one of the typical dishes that is served for breakfast. It is part of the breakfast combo Tosilog or tocino, sinangag, itlog (tocino, fried rice, eggs). Again this is an easy dish to make and the ingredients can be doubled easily to make a big batch. They can be kept in the freezer until ready to cook.

For this pork recipe, I used thinly sliced pork which I has the butcher sliced at the time I purchased it. I marinated it in a mixture of pineapple juice, 7-up, soy sauce, brown sugar, finely chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. I also added a few drops of red food coloring to give it that nice reddish color which is typical of tocino. I marinated the pork slices for about 12 hours before cooking it in a little bit of water and oil. The 7-up, pineapple juice and sugar gives it a nice sweet flavor as well as gives it a nice caramelized sauce. I only made a small batch using 1 pound of pork but I think I will have to triple the recipe next time since 1 pound didn't really last me very long.

Ingredients:

1 lb. thinly sliced pork shoulder or butt (I chose a portion that has a little bit of fat because it just taste better :)
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce, less if you prefer
1/2 cup 7-up or sprite
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
sea salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
red food coloring, optional.

1. In a container with tight fitting lid, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, 7-up, sugar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper according to taste. Add food coloring, if desired.
2. Stir to mix well and dissolve sugar.
3. Add slices of pork and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
4. When ready to cook, heat pan over medium heat. Add about 1/2 cup water then add the pork sliced with some of the marinade and simmer until pork is tender.
5. When pork is tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, add about 1 Tbsp of oil and cook until it caramelizes nicely.
6. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.

Itlog na Maalat (Salted Eggs)

In a typical Filipino breakfast, you can also find a meat dish (tocino, chorizo, tapa, or hotdog) as well as fish or dried fish to go with the rice. Accompaniments include papaya relish (atchara) and/or sliced tomato. The other typical component of a Filipino breakfast is eggs which can be scrambled, fried, or boiled. Aside from these three, salted eggs or itlog na maalat is also very popular. I like mine sliced and combined with sliced tomatoes and shallots with a little vinegar...delish.

Salted eggs are actually easy to make. You just need eggs, water, and salt. Soak the eggs in the brine solution for a few weeks and then hard-boiled. Viola! salted eggs. Duck eggs are typically used for this recipe but you can use chicken eggs instead. These salted eggs are actually readily available at the Asian markets but I like to make my own. why? just because...hehehe. I kept mine in the corner of the cupboard where it is dark for about 4 weeks before I boiled them. Hard-boiled salted eggs can be kept in the refrigerator.

Salted eggs recipe:

1 dozen extra large chicken eggs
1 1/2 cups sea salt
4 cups water

1. Inspect eggs to make sure that none of them have any cracks.
2. In a non-reactive container, mix sea salt and water. Stir to dissolve.
3. Place eggs carefully making sure that they do not crack. Also ensure that they are submerged in the brine mixture.
4. Cover the container and store in a cool, dark spot for 4 weeks.
5. When ready, hard boil them. Cool and store in the refrigerator.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with rice and meat or fish


Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Shallots.

2-3 hard-boiled salted eggs, chopped or sliced coarsely
2 medium sized Roma tomato, diced
2 small shallots, sliced into rings
1 Tbsp vinegar

Pandan Crepes with Sweetened Coconut Filling

Pandan and coconut are two ingredient combination that I really like because I think they both go well together. Today, I made a crepe and filling combination using the two ingredients and it turned out really good. The dish is sticky, sweet, and overall yummy. The color turned out really nice as well. Reminds me of cotton candy ...hehehe


The filling is actually based on a Filipino sweet snack known as "bukayo" which is made of shredded young coconut, cooked in sugar syrup, and allowed to thicken. That sweet snack is either served with the syrup still wet or dried and has formed into a flat, soft round disks which looks similar to a cookie. No matter which was that snack is served, it still taste really good. Ahhh, home...how I miss thee! And to think that it has not been that long since I last came back from a visit to the Philippines. But, as they always say, there is no place like home.

Anyways, back to the dish, The crepes uses a basic crepe recipe but made special with the addition of pandan extract. Pandan just makes it smell really fragrant as well as taste better in my opinion :)


Ingredients:

Crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp pandan extract
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
a pinch of salt
Pam spray
1 drop of green food coloring (optional)

1. Place slightly beaten eggs in a large bowl. Add flour and mix until slightly incorporated (Batter, at this point will be very thick)
2. Mix milk, pandan extract, and water in a separate container.
3. Drizzle milk mixture slowly into the flour mixture while whisking it. Mix until incorporated. (notice that the batter will be thin at this point)
4. Add salt and butter and mix well. Add optional green food coloring, if desired. NOTE: Add just enough to achieve the desired color.
5. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain mixture to remove solid or undissolved ingredients. (This step is important so the batter will be smooth and free from lumps)
6. Heat crepe or frying pan over medium heat.
7. Lightly spray pan with Pam spray or lightly oil it.
8. Take 1/4 cup of the batter and place it on the pan. Spread it around using a swirling motion. Make sure to spread it as thin as possible.
8. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges starts to come off the pan and slightly golden in color.
9. Repeat until all of the batter has been used up.


Sweetened Coconut Filling:

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup water

1. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add water and sugar and stir to dissolve.
3. Simmer until slightly thickened then add coconut.
4. Stir to mix and let it simmer until the sugar has thickened.
5.Remove from heat and let it cool.


To Assemble:
1. Take 1 Tbsp of filling and place it in the middle of the crepe then roll tightly.
2. Repeat until all crepes has been filled.
3. Top with remaining filling and serve.

Crepes with Nutella and Pears

Woke up really early (730 am) this morning though it isn't much of a surprise since I went to bed rather eraly last night. NOw, that is shocking considering I don't normally go to bed until the wee hours of the morning..hahaha! Anyways, I woke this morning craving for some crepes so I whipped up a batch. I filled it with both sweet and savory (will post recipe next time)fillings. I swear, I am weird sometimes.

Basic crepes are actually easy to make and just requires a few ingredients which are found in most household's pantry. To make, all you need is flour, egg, water, salt, and butter. There is really no special equipment needed although having a crepe pan certainly helps but if you don't have any (most household don't own one, I am sure), you can just use the small frying pan. Preferably lightweight and non-stick so it is easier to lift and swirl the batter around as well as prevent it from sticking to the pan. Since I do not normally use a non-stick frying pan since I use my trusty calphalon cast iron pan for frying, I had to search for the blasted frying pan amidst all the kitchen gadgets, pots, and pans in the cupboard. I was actually mildly surprised to find a crepe pan hidden underneath the mountain of kitchen gadgetry. Ha! that is so like me to forget that I have these things. Gosh I do not even remember when the last time I used this thing...hahaha. Well, that was much better than the frying pan I was thinking of using.


When cooking the crepe, make sure that the pan is hot and lightly oiled. Do not placetoo much oil because it will make the crepes soggy or oily and not light. I use a little bit of Pam spray instead of oil as it works for me better. I also use about quarter of a cup of the batter and spread (swirl) it as thin as possible. It does not take a long time to make crepes, about 1-2 minutes. You will know that it is ready because the edges starts to come off the pan. Read on for the complete recipe.


Ingredients:

Chocolate sauce:

1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Using a double boiler or heat proof bowl over a pan with water, place the crean on the bowl and heat gently until warm.
2. Add chocolate chips and stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Remove from heat and cool while you cook your crepes.

Filling:

Nutella spread
1 ripe pear- cored and sliced thinly
1 tsp sugar

1. Mix sliced pear and sugar making sure that all the pieces is coated with sugar.
2. Let is stand for 15-20 minutes while you make your crepes.

Basic crepes

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
a pinch of salt
Pam spray

1. Place slightly beaten eggs in a large bowl. Add flour and mix until slightly incorporated (Batter, at this point will be very thick)
2. Mix milk and water in a separate container.
3. Drizzle milk mixture slowly into the flour mixture while whisking it. Mix until incorporated. (notice that the batter will be thin at this point)
4. Add salt and butter and mix well.
5. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain mixture to remove solid or undissolved ingredients. (This step is important so the batter will be smooth and free from lumps)
6. Heat crepe or frying pan over medium heat.
7. Lightly spray pan with Pam spray or lightly oil it.
8. Take 1/4 cup of the batter and place it on the pan. Spread it around using a swirling motion. Make sure to spread it as thin as possible.
8. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges starts to come off the pan and slightly golden in color.
9. Repeat until all of the batter has been used up.

To assemble:

1. Take one crepe, spread nutella in the middle area.
2. Assemble pear slices on top of nutella spread.
3. Take one side and fold over the nutella-pear mixture. Do the same with the other side.
4. Top with chocolate sauce and serve.

Orange and Pistachio in Orange Blossom Water

Ahhh...what a wonderful morning... is what I am hoping *crashes back down to the land of the living and my reality*... hehehe... had to wake up early today because I have so much to do and too many errands to take care of. I really need to get moving again so I thought I would start my day by walking a little bit...whew easier said than done especially when it is humid. After all that sweating and walking, I need something to refresh me and get me ready to face this day. I like this dish because it does not involve any cooking. Its my take on grapefruit breakfast except that I am using oranges instead of grapefruit. To me, they are the same. Both are rich in Vitamin C although some studies have suggested that grapefruit can help you lose weight. Hmmm, does it? I have no idea. Personally, I prefer oranges better in terms of taste. Grapefruit tends to to have a bitter taste, or is it just me? Even pink grapefruit does taste slightly bitter to me. Not for lack of trying, believe me I have tried plenty and they all taste bitter. Maybe I just have not found a sweet grapefruit yet. Anyways, I still think oranges taste better...hehehe...


I am using orange blossom water as a "dressing" which I purchased from monieur Marcel at the the farmer's market in Third and Fairfax yeaterday. Orange blossom water are made from Seville orange blossoms which are left to steep for 2-3 weeks. Who has the time to do this? I would probably do it if I have access to orange blossom but since I don't, I bought some ready made orange blosson instead. Orange blosson water is commonly used in Persian and Arabic cooking.

Ingredients:
2 oranges
2 Tbsp pistachio, shelled and chopped roughly
1 Tbsp orange blossom water

1.Peel oranges using a knife to remove skin and pith. NOTE: You can save the skin (without the pith or the white part) to be used in another dish if you wish.
2. Slice into 1/2 an inch thickness. Try to save some of the juice that have accumulated while slicing the oranges.
3. Combine juice and orange blossom water and pour it over the sliced oranges.
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle chopped pistachio on top.



Adapted from The Three Ingredients Cookbook by Jenny White

Corned Beef Rolls

I have been on the roll(ha ha ha...pun intended) with baking these past few days. This is all thanks to the No-Knead Dough which allows me to make freshly baked breads without all the hard work. This time I filled the dough with sauteed corned beef and then bake it. Ah, I love the smell that permeates the whole house when the bread was done.



Ingredients:

No-Knead Dough (recipe here)
Egg Wash :
Egg yolk mixed with 1/2 tsp water

Filling:
1 can corned beef
1 small onion, finely diced
oil for sauteeing

1. Take out the prepared dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes.

2. Heat pan to medium heat. Add Oil and then sauteed the onion until transluscent. Add corned beef and sautee for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from hear and let it cool.

3. To assemble, pinch a golf ball sized dough and flatten to about an inch thick oblong shape. Place about 1 Tbsp of filling and roll. Make sure you seal the sedges to prevent your filling from oozing out.




4. After you have finished filling the dough, cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rest for an hour. By the end of 1 hour, the size should have doubled.

5. 20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350F.

6. Brush the top of the crescents with egg wash prior to baking.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove and let it cool on the wire rack.

No-Knead Pig in a Blanket (Sausage Rolls)

I love sausage rolls which I often get from my favorite Korean bakeshop. Theirs taste good but the problem is that it is way too greasy...Its like someone slathered it with oil or butter. This morning I was craving for it but was too lazy to go out and buy some. Then I remembered that I still have some leftover No-Knead Dough in the Kitchen... hmmm, great idea, right? So, I rummaged through my refrigerator but couldn't find any hotdog. Otoki? Looked in my pantry and found a couple of cans of vienna sausage so I used that.






Ah, not too long after, the sweet aroma of freshly baked goodie filled the entire house. The roll turned out really good. Ayayay, how come I didn't discover this No-Knead Dough earlier? It is fantastic and could eaily be adapted into a lot of recipes.

Ingredients:

1 baseball size No-Knead Dough
1 can vienna sausage or cocktail dogs
flour for dusting
1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water (for brushing on top of roll)

1. Pinch a baseball size No Knead Dough and place on floured surface. Fold 2-3 times then cover withplastic wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

2. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Using a floured serrated knife, cut the dough into 6 equally sized triangles.

ALTERNATIVE: you can divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll out individually.

3. Wrap dough around the sausage or hotdog. Place in baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour or until it has doubled its size.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, paint top of the rolls with egg wash. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until it turns golden brown in color. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving dish and serve.