Emily's Cooking Blog

Filling Ingredients:

3 red potatoes, peeled and diced

½ c. cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Filling Preparation:

1. Boil potatoes until soft.

2. Mash the potatoes with the grated cheese, adding salt and pepper to take.

3. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, chives, or other enhancements if you desire.

4. Let the potato mixture cool and refrigerate.

5. The next day, form the dough into 1” balls.

Dough Ingredients:

2 c. flour (approximately)

1 c. full fat sour cream

Dough Preparation:

1. Mix together the flour and sour cream and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes)

2. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate.

3. Using your hands, roll the dough into the shape of a log.

4. Roll out the dough on a floured countertop until 1/8” thick. Cut circles of dough with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. OR Roll the dough into a log. Slice the log into 12 equal pieces. Mold each piece into a circle using your hands.

5. Place a ball of filling onto the circle, fold the circle in half, and pinch the edges closed with your fingers.

6. Boil the pierogies a few at a time in a large pot of water.

7. Pierogies are done when they float to the top (about 8 – 10 minutes)

8. Remove the pierogies from the water using a slotted spoon. Place in strainer for a few minutes.

9. Place piergies in a bowl and cover with sauted onions to prevent the pierogies from sticking to each other.

Source: Miller Cafeteria

Last week my commercial cooking class made pierogies. This was our last lab for the semester and it was a two-day assignment. On the first day we prepared the dough and the filling. This had to be completed quickly because it was a shortened class. Something that went well was the putting together of the two parts to make the pierogi. All of my group members worked very fast and shared the tasks making everything run smoothly. One thing that did not go so well was actually cooking our pierogies. One of them burst in the water and the filling leaked out making the water murky. Something that I learned in class that was very important to this recipe was how to pull the dough over top of the filling in the pierogies. If I were going to make this recipe again I would add more ingredients to the filling and the dough to give it some more flavor. I really enjoyed making this lab, it was unlike other cooking experiences I have had before.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup enriched white rice

2 cups water

1/3 cup chopped baby carrots

1/4 cup frozen green peas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 egg

soy sauce to taste

sesame oil, to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

3. Heat wok over high heat.

4. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds.

5. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables.

6. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat.

7. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Source: Allrecipes

Last week our commercial cooking class made fried rice. Something that went well with this lab was getting things going right away and getting all the other ingredients prepared for when they were needed. One thing that did not go so well was the seasoning of the rice at the end. too much salt and pepper were added and it was much too strong for my liking. Something I learrned in class that was very useful for this recipe was to make sure the pan was fully heated before adding the rice, egg, and vegetables. This made sure it cooked properly. Next time I make this I will add more vegetables and more types of sauces on the rice. I really enjoyed this lab, especially because it was an eating lab.

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Ready In: 30 Min

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked spiral pasta

1/2 pound ground beef

1 tbsp. taco seasoning

1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce

1 chopped tomato

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup Catalina salad dressing

Tortilla chips

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning; cool.

3. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into meat mixture.

4. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onion, green pepper and dressing; toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: allrecipes.com

Garlic Croutons

1 ½ tbsp. oil

½ tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

3 slices firm white bread, cubed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add bread and toss to coat. Spread on 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan and bake 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring halfway through.

Caesar Dressing

1 clove garlic

½ c. oil

1 egg

2 tbsp. lemon

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. anchovy paste

½ tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Blend for 10 seconds on medium speed in blender.

Romaine Lettuce

Fill sink with water (about ¼ full)

Add lettuce leaves and wash

Gently remove leaves BEFORE draining the water from the sink.

Pat leaves dry with paper towel.

TEAR (do not cut) leaves into bite-sized pieces

DO NOT COMBINE THE CROUTONS, DRESSING and LETTUCE as this salad will be served tomorrow!

Source: Mr. Turcotte

 

 

beef, cut in strips

Marinade: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Toppings: Onion slices, sauteed

Green pepper strips, sautéed

Red pepper strips, sauteed

Shredded lettuce

Sour cream

Salsa

4 Tortillas

Directions:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow casserole.

2. Cut beef into thin strips; add to marinade.

3. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

4. Put 2 tbsp. oil in bottom of skillet.

5. Saute onion, red and green pepper.

6. In separate pan, cook marinated beef strips.

7. Add beef to sautéed vegetables.

8. Wrap in warm tortillas with onions and peppers and any desired toppings.

Last week my class made tex-mex fajitas. This was an eating lab and it took two classes because we had to marinate the chicken. Something that went well was the sautéing of the vegetables. They were perfectly cooked and very yummy. Something that did not go so well was the cooking of the chicken, it turned out slightly dry. One thing I learned in class that was helpful for this recipe was to make sure the chicken is cut into bite size pieces so it works better in a wrap. If I were to make this recipe again I would have cheese to eat it with and I would use beef instead of chicken. This lab was fun and I was happy that we actually got to eat what we made. I will likely make this for my family in the near future.

Makes about 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

¾ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

3 tbsp. chopped onion

2 tbsp. chopped celery

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water. Place eggs in ice bath to cool the eggs quickly.

Peel and chop eggs.

Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, onion and celery.

Season with salt and pepper – more pepper than salt. Stir.

Spread butter on both pieces of bread

Source: Miller Cafeteria

Last week my commercial cooking class made egg salad. This was an interesting lab for me as it was the first time I have ever hard boiled eggs. Something that went well was the boiling of the eggs, they turned out perfectly cooked and it was very easy to take the shell off too. One thing that did not go very well was attempting to mash the eggs with a pastry cutter. It worked okay but the groups that used a potato masher ended up with much better sized pieces. One thing I learned in class that was very useful to the recipe was to place the eggs into an ice bath immediately after cooking to make it easier to take the shell off. Although I had heard of the concept, I had never used it before and it was interesting to see how it worked. If I were to do this recipe again I would make sure that I get the opportunity to taste it! This lab was lots of fun and I can’t wait to do more in this unit.

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 10 Min

Ready In: 25 Min

Servings: 9 - 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Line cookie sheet with parchment.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

4. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.

5. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder; mix well.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Use a scoop to drop cookies on the prepared cookie sheets.

8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

9. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

For my second and final home lab I decided to make double chocolate chip cookies. something that went well was waiting long enough for the cookies to cool that they didn’t fall apart on the cooling rack. Something that didn’t go to well was the actual baking of the cookies. The oven I used at school worked differently from the one I used for this home lab so the cookies ended up over done even though the ovens were set the same time and temperature. Something that I learned in class that was helpful for this recipe was to press down on the cookie with a wooden spoon to see if it is fully cooked. Next time I try this recipe I will be sure to avoid overbaking the cookies. This recipe was fun and easy to make and my family thoroughly enjoyed the end result.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) white granulated sugar

1 large egg

3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 (75 ml) candied red cherries, chopped

Directions:

1. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).

2. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until a dough forms.

4. Stir in the cherries until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

5. Place dough on a large piece of parchment or wax paper. Smooth and shape the dough into an evenly shaped cylinder that is about 10 inches long. Then thoroughly wrap the shaped logs in the parchment or wax paper, twists the ends of the paper to seal the logs, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least three hours, or up to three days. The logs can also be frozen for about one month. If freezing, it is best to let the logs stand at room temperature about 15-20 minutes before slicing.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Using a thin bladed knife, slice the logs into 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick slices. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature for about five days or baked cookies can be frozen for a couple of weeks

Last week my class made Cherry Icebox Cookies. This lab took two classes and was lots of fun. Something that went really well was the shape of the cookies when they were finished, they were nice and round and uniform. Something that did not do well was trying to wrap our dough in parchment paper to place in the fridge, we ended up folding it and laying it on a plate to prevent it from opening. Something that I learned in class that was very useful was to make sure the cookies were cut evenly so they cooked evenly. If I were going to make this recipe again I would add extra cherries as I felt our cookies were mostly dough. The cookies were delicious and I hope to make this recipe again soon.

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 10 Min

Ready In: 25 Min

Servings: 9 - 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Line cookie sheet with parchment.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

4. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.

5. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder; mix well.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Use a scoop to drop cookies on the prepared cookie sheets.

8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

9. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prep time: 20 min. Cook Time : 8 min. Ready: 3 hours

Yield : 30 cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

6. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

7. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.

8. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

9. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Recently my Commercial Cooking class made Rolled Sugar Cookies. This lab was lots of fun, especially decorating the cookies. Something that went really well was how perfectly the cookies were baked. They were slightly browed around the edges but still soft and delicious. One thing that did not go well was our icing, the majority of our group was not experienced using icing so they didn’t turn out as visually appealing as I would have liked. Something that I learned in class that was useful for this lab was to chill the dough overnight before rolling it out. This makes it easier to work with. Next time I make this recipe I will make sure the icing is easier to work with and I will not rush while trying to ice the cookies. this lab was lots of fun, I loved decorating cookies!