Food – Page 2 – Hālau 'Aha Hui Lānākila

Good Eats | Making Hand Pies (or Empanada)

July 14, 2024 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium white onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
Salt
Black pepper
4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio lean to fat)
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 level tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups beef stock or broth
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into ¼ -½ inch cubes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
¼ cup green peas
2 (17.3 ounce) packages puff pastry sheets, frozen
1 egg, whisked for egg wash
Flaky salt, optional garnish

Preparations :

Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients (except for the puff pastry sheets—keep those frozen) according to the ingredients list above.

Place a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven oven medium-high heat, and add the butter and the olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add in the onion, carrot, celery, plus a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper, and saute the veggies for a few minutes until just softened.

Add in the garlic, and once aromatic, add in the ground beef along with the Italian seasoning, the white pepper plus a couple more pinches of salt and pepper, and use your spoon or spatula to crumble the beef into a fine consistency, cooking it for a few minutes until no longer pink.

Next, add in the tomato paste along with the Worcestershire sauce and stir that into the beef mixture, then sprinkle in the flour and stir that in to blend well.Add in the beef stock or broth, followed by the diced potato, and stir to combine. Cover the pan and allow the filling to gently simmer just until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thickened, roughly 25-35 minutes.

To finish the filling, add the thyme leaves, the chopped parsley and the peas, and stir to combine. Check to see if any additional salt or pepper is needed, and allow the beef filling to completely cool.

Once your filling is nearly cooled, take your puff pastry sheets out of the freezer (you should have a total of 4 sheets), and allow them to thaw at room temp, roughly 40 to 45 minutes (if the pastry sheets thaw before your filling has cooled, place them into the fridge to keep cold.)

When the puff pastry sheets have thawed, place one sheet at a time in front of you on a work surface. Roll the puff pastry sheet out to a size that is 10 by 10 inches, and cut it into 4, 5 inch squares. Place the squares onto a wax or parchment paper-lined sheet tray to hold while you repeat the process with all of the puff pastry sheets, placing more parchment paper or wax paper between layers of squares as needed to help prevent sticking.

Once all of your puff pastry sheets are rolled and cut into 5” squares (you should end up with 16 squares in total), then place about 4 squares at a time in front of you. Add about ½ cup of the beef filling to the center of each square, forming it so that it is a slightly rectangular shaped mound, leaving some border to allow for sealing.

Wet the edges of the filled square with a touch of water, and place another puff pastry square over top, covering the filling as if you were making a pie. Press the edges together (you can use a fork for this), then trim any excess edge to create a smaller “package” or rectangular parcel. Place onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or use two baking sheets, if needed), and repeat the process by assembling the rest of the hand pies. (You will have a total of 8 hand pies once assembled.)

Once assembled, cut 2 to 3 small slits or “vents” into the top of each hand pie, to allow steam to escape while they bake. Then, place the hand pies into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill.

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Once chilled, brush some egg wash over each savory hand pie, sprinkle with a small touch of flaky salt, if using, and bake them for 24 to 26 minutes, or until a deep, golden brown.

Allow the hand pies to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before eating, as the filling will be very hot.

La’au Lapa’au | A Multitude of Uses for Salt

July 3, 2024 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

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1. To remove the odour from your hands after cutting onions, chicken or fish, just wash your hands with salt and water, then you will have no more smell.

2. To avoid the feeling of the hotness of pepper on your hands after cutting/slicing it with your hands, rub them with salt and vegetable oil or red oil and wash them.

3. When pepper mistakenly enter your eye, put a pinch of salt in your mouth, the hotness of the pepper will disappear and you will see the magic.

4. When storing empty containers or bottle, throw in a pinch of salt to help them from getting stinky.

5. Sprinkling some salt on your fresh peppers while pounding it, helps to make it pound quickly.

6. Soaking bitter leaves in salt and hot water, helps to remove extra bitterness before cooking with it.

7. If your liquid milk always spoil before you finish it, You can add pinch of salt when you first open it, it will help the milk to stay fresh longer.

8. Salt and detergent mixture can help you to kill ants and cockroaches disturbing you in the kitchen.

9. Placing your overripe tomatoes in a cold and salty water overnight, will help to make them fresh and firm.

10. If you cut lemon and you do not want to use it finish, sprinkle salt on it, it would stay fresh for 3 days. Make sure you rinse it before using it again.

11. Salt can be used as a preservative method for preserving meat, fish or vegetables. It helps to prevent bacteria growth.

12. Grease fires or small fire can be put out with the use of salt.

13. To store your fermented locust beans (ogiri, iru or dawadawa), mix it with salt and put it in a container. Your fermented locust beans will stay fresh for years without getting spoil.

14. When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking and peeling the eggs will also be easy.

15. If you don’t want your spaghetti to gum together while cooking, add a drop of vegetable oil into a salty boiling water and it will come out separately.

16. Soaking your rice with hot water and salt before cooking it, will help to remove excess starch.

17. You can use salt to parboil your rice in order to remove the starch from the rice quickly.

18. Adding salt on your cocoyam when it starts boiling helps to make it soften quickly.

19. Salt is used to sanitize your kitchen sponges. It is used to kill the bacteria, germs in them. Soak the sponge in a hot salty water.

20. Salt improves the texture of the meat as it helps to break down the tough proteins, thus tenderizing the meat.

21. When chopping/cutting vegetables, sprinkle little salt onto the chopping/cutting board, it will keep the vegetables from moving or flying around while cutting/chopping.

Good Eats | Chicken Lasagna with White Sauce

June 26, 2024 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

May be an image of shepherd's pie

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups spinach, chopped
4 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, until slightly browned.
Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the sauce. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken, ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Spread a thin layer of the white sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce.
Spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture over the noodles, followed by another layer of white sauce. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with a layer of noodles and the remaining white sauce.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Prep Time: 20 min. | Cooking Time: 45 min. | Total Time: 1 hr., 5 min.

Kcal: 420 kcal | Servings: 8 servings

Good Eats | Lemon Custard Cake

June 22, 2024 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

This Lemon Custard Cake is fantastic by itself, but for a complete dessert experience, try it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Adding a handful of fresh berries brings a pop of color and a juicy complement to the tangy lemon. And for the adults, a hot cup of tea or a glass of sweet moscato elevates this dessert into a true celebration.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cups whole milk

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan. Lining it with parchment paper can make removal easier.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. Blend in egg yolks one at a time, then add vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the lemon juice and milk, until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Variations & Tips:

Substitute lemon with orange for a different citrus twist.

For a dairy-free version, use almond or coconut milk and dairy-free butter.

Separate the mixtures and bake for less time for a more pronounced custard layer.

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.

And there it is—a delightful dessert that’s sure to bring joy and sweetness to your table. Enjoy your baking journey, and remember, every meal is an opportunity to create lasting memories with those you cherish!

Good Eats | Garlic Confit and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

November 3, 2023 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

garlic confit and rosemary focaccia

INGREDIENTS

WILD GARLIC CONFIT

6 heads garlic
3 cups Rich Glen Wild Garlic Olive Oil
6 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs rosemary

FOCACCIA

2.5 cups lukewarm water 2 cups cold water + 1/2 cup boiling hot water (600ml)
1 sachet yeast or 7g yeast
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
5 cups all purpose white flour 740g
2.5 tsp flakey sea salt + extra for sprinkling
10 – 12 cloves garlic confit
2 sprigs rosemary leaves
8 tbsp garlic confit olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

WILD GARLIC CONFIT

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius.
Peel the garlic by breaking the cloves away and placing them into a heatproof bowl. Submerge in boiling hot water for 5 minutes and drain. The skin will become loose and easy to peel away.
Place the garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary into an ovenproof dish and fully submerge in olive oil. It’s important the garlic is fully submerged in the olive oil so it does not burn. Bake for 2 hours or until the garlic has browned in colour.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container or jar with the garlic cloves fully submerged in the olive oil for up to several weeks in the fridge.

FOCACCIA

In a medium bowl, mix together the lukewarm water, yeast and honey with a whisk and leave to sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast has foamed. This will indicate that your yeast is active.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk together. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and bring the dough together with your hands or a spatula until a shaggy and sticky dough forms.
Coat a large mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Coat the dough in the olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge. Leave the dough to rise for a minimum of 6 hours but ideally for 24 hours. The dough will double in size and look bubbly.
Take the dough out of the fridge and fold it over itself in quarters. Gather up each edge of the dough with your hands and fold it over itself while turning the bowl. The dough will deflate while you shape it into a neat ball.
Coat a deep rectangular baking dish (I use a pan that is 34cm x 23cm x 5cm) with 2 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil and transfer the dough ball to the baking dish. Using your fingers, stretch the dough out slightly into a rough rectangular shape. There is no need to stretch the dough out to the edges of the pan as the dough will rise and spread. Cover the pan with a tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm area of your house for 3 – 4 hours. If your dough is uncovered there is risk of too much air getting into the dough and creating a dry and crusty layer on top.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Once the dough has risen, use your fingers to indent or dimple the dough. Scatter the garlic confit cloves and rosemary over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil. This will help the crust of the dough get golden and crispy when baking. Finish off with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the dough has developed a golden crust on top.
Let the bread slightly cool before removing it from the baking tray. Place onto a wire rack.
Slice the bread and enjoy on its own or dipped into the garlic confit olive oil with some balsamic vinegar.