Creamed Pearl Onions with Bacon Recipe • Tasty Side! | Club Foody

 

I like having choices, especially when it comes to food. I don’t like being limited. Having a nice variety of one-pot recipes or comfort food dishes 🥰 to choose from makes cooking more fun and interesting. The same applies to vegetables and sides…
 
Yes, mashed potatoes 🥔 are probably the most popular side dish out there, but there are other options such as White Bean Purée, Jollof Rice, Sambal Green Beans, Southern Corn Pepper Pudding, Calico Beans, Cabbage and Carrot Casserole, Ginger Garlic Bok Choy, and the list goes on.
 
On the website 💻, there are over 100 recipes that I posted so far, and they just keep coming. Here’s one that David and I really enjoy… Creamed Pearl Onions with Bacon! This delicious dish goes very well with many proteins. It’s easy to make and a tasty change from your regular ones.
 
The first thing that has to be done before beginning with the recipe is to have the pearl onions ready. In the video 🎥, I don’t show how to do it because there’s a great tutorial on it. I show you a quick method to peel and prep them, and here’s the link… Pearl Onions • Easiest Way to Peel.
 
When this step is done, the rest goes pretty fast. The bacon pieces 🥓 are cooked and set aside before the prepped pearl onions go in. As the late chef Anne Burrell often said, “brown food tastes good” -, therefore, these little guys are sautéed for 5 minutes so they don’t look snowy white anymore.
 
To give some sweetness to this dish, roasted red peppers are added, providing not only color 🌈 but also flavor. Flour is also another important component that helps to thicken the sauce. Although David and I are slowly switching to stainless steel cookware, I prefer using a non-stick skillet when making a roux.
 
The rest goes in, including most of the cooked bacon pieces, reserving some as a garnish. I keep about 1/3 of it, and the rest goes in the skillet. I love my mixed peppercorns, but if you prefer, they can be skipped. Then the mixture is simmered gently for 5 minutes ⏳.
 
As I frequently mention, “we eat with our eyes 👀 first” -, and this Creamed Pearl Onions with Bacon is the perfect example. After the mixture is transferred to a serving dish, the remaining bacon pieces are sprinkled in the center, followed by the parsley.
 
It’s a delightful way to break the routine of our everyday side dishes with this Creamed Pearl Onions with Bacon! It has tons of flavor and is easy to make. With Easter 🐰 around the corner, this rich and flavorful recipe is a great accompaniment for many proteins… simply give it a try!
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more amazing side dish recipes for you to try… 😀
– Pilau Rice
– Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole
– Roasted Rainbow Carrots
– Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
– Quick & Easy Sautéed Broccolini
– Veggie Orzo Risotto
– Green Bean Mushroom & Almond Casserole
– German Red Cabbage
– Baked Autumn Veggighetti
and for even more side dish recipes 🍆🍚, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sides & Vegetables

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/creamed-pearl-onions-with-bacon/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

 

David and I are definitely carnivores, but, once in a while, it’s nice to take a break from the meat. Salad 🥗 is probably the most obvious choice, but there are also other amazing dishes such as Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, Saag Aloo or Aloo Gobi, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Pasta alla Caponata, Falafel, and more…
 
A lovely dish that I had a long time ago while living in Toronto is West African Peanut Stew, also known as Maafe! Rich and creamy, this savory recipe is incredibly delicious! This is a hearty meatless meal that can be served as is, but, chicken, beef 🐂, or lamb can also be added to it.
 
This one-pot recipe is very easy to make. Onions 🧅 and red peppers are sautéed together before adding ginger and garlic. Typically, Scotch bonnet or habanero are the preferred peppers. I always opt for the regular red bell ones, but go for the others if you want.
 
My take on this West African Peanut Stew • Maafe is slightly different from the original. I use regular smooth peanut butter 🥜, which contains sugar, instead of the natural kind. That said, you can go ahead and use whichever kind you prefer.
 
Just a quick tip…
When it comes to natural peanut butter, to keep a creamier texture and avoid stirring before using it, keep it in the fridge upside down. It forces the separated oil to travel 🚗 through the peanut butter and also prevents it from drying out. If the oil is all the way to the bottom, invert the jar.
 
The rest of the recipe is pretty much the same. Tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes go in along with vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and seasonings. Other options can be carrots, cabbage, or okra instead of sweet potatoes 🍠.
 
It takes between 15 to 20 minutes for the potatoes to be fork-tender. About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, the baby spinach leaves 🍃 are stirred in. At this point, if you want to add shredded, cooked chicken, beef or lamb cubes, this is the time to add them.
 
When the stew is done, spoon it 🥄 into warm bowls over a bed of rice or couscous. I like to garnish with unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts and sprinkle on some fresh, chopped cilantro. To cut through the richness of the dish, serve it with a few lime wedges.
 
With a gorgeous balance of nutty and savory flavors, this West African Peanut Stew • Maafe is certainly one to try! It’s simple and yet so tasty! Enjoy it as is, served over rice 🍚, or add some cooked meat to it for a complete meal…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Check out these other amazing African recipes… 😀
– Moroccan Harira Soup
– Bunny Chow
– Moroccan Kefta Tajine
– Peri Peri Chicken
– Bobotie
– Hawawshi
– Moroccan Zaalouk
– Shakshouka
– North African Merguez
and for even more international recipes 🌍, click on this link… Recipe Category • International

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/west-african-peanut-stew-maafe/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Lemon Ricotta Squares Recipe • Perfect Spring Treat! | Club Foody

 

I’m not sure if I’m getting softer with age, but I can’t stand winter and its cold months anymore, not that I was a fan before. Spring will be arriving tomorrow, and that makes me very happy! Soon the trees and flowers 🌼 will be fully bloomed as the weather warms up and the days get longer…
 
As much as I like cooking casseroles, stews and other hearty, comforting, warm dishes 🍲, spring brings lighter meals. A wider selection of fresh produce will slowly come back onto our grocery shelves, like rhubarb, artichokes, fiddlehead ferns, apricots, etc.
 
I bake all year round, but like my main dishes, springtime is much lighter, focusing more on fresh fruit flavors. It can be Mango Cake, Pavlova, Strawberry Shortcake 🍓🍰, Fruit Kolaches, Key Lime Pie, Coconut Nests, and so on, including this one… Lemon Ricotta Squares!
 
These little guys are one of my favorite spring sweet treats! Vibrant with a lovely creamy and tangy custard-like filling on a buttery 🧈, shortbread crust, this is the perfect quintessential seasonal dessert to make! They’re great to serve for Easter and Mother’s Day!
 
Bright, these Lemon Ricotta Squares are easy to make 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳. After the shortbread dough is done, it’s dropped into a greased baking dish lined with a lightly greased parchment paper. If you’re not sure about lining it, here’s a great tutorial on how to do it… Lining a Loaf Pan with Parchment Paper
 
The next step is not really obvious but still doable. Using your clean hands, the dough is firmly pressed down, spreading it out evenly. That takes a little time, so be patient. It’s baked for about 20 minutes ⏰ or until the edges are lightly browned.
 
While it’s cooling, the filling is made. Normally, I use around a ¼ cup of Limoncello liqueur and top the rest with freshly squeezed lemon juice 🍋 until it reaches 2/3 cup. When I filmed the recipe, I was out of my homemade Italian liqueur, so I decided to skip it… I’ll never do that again!
 
The filling is poured onto the cooled crust and baked until it’s set and no longer jiggling, around 35 to 40 minutes. The dish is placed on a wire rack and allowed to cool completely; it takes a good two hours 🕑. After that cooling period, it’s transferred to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
 
When the ricotta filling is firm, the treat is lifted from the baking dish before being sliced into squares. Here’s a tip for perfectly clean slices: use a sharp knife 🔪 with a thin blade, and between each cut, clean it under very hot water and wipe it off.
 
With the right balance of tartness along with a subtle sweetness, these bright Lemon Ricotta Squares are a delicious way to welcome spring! They’re light and airy, with a refreshing note to them! Sprinkled with powdered sugar, they make a great treat for Easter 🐰 or Mother’s Day…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more scrumptious sweet treat recipes for you to try… 😀
– Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars
– Margarita Cupcakes
– Lemon Posset
– Mango Purée with Mixed Berries and Cointreau
– Biscoff Icebox Cake
– Coconut Cream Pie
– Lemon Rosemary Madeleines
– Cherry Clafoutis
– Orange Ricotta Cookies
and for even more dessert recipes 🍰🍩, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/lemon-ricotta-squares/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Moroccan Green Spaghetti Recipe • Tasty & Original! | Club Foody

 

Today, there’s an event that is globally celebrated, and it’s St Patrick’s Day! Parades, people wearing green, and festivals are the highlights of the day! The Chicago River is turning green and so is the London Eye 🎡 and Sydney Opera House…
 
If you’re in the mood for green foods and beverages, here are a few suggestions: Gnudi aka Malfatti, Spinach Crêpes, Grasshopper Pie, Creamy Avocado Dressing 🥑, Spinach & Ricotta Scrambled Eggs, Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars, Green Smoothie, Shamrock Shake Copycat, Chocolate Grasshopper Martini, etc.
 
There’s another one that fits this “color profile” perfectly and it’s my Moroccan Green Spaghetti! Super easy to make, this healthy dish 💚 can be enjoyed in less than 30 minutes! It’s original and incredibly tasty… a great recipe to make, especially for today’s event!
 
The sauce is made while the spaghetti is cooking. After the onions are softened, which takes no more than 5 minutes, the rest goes pretty quickly. When the spinach 🍃 is wilted, the cooked ingredients are blended along with feta cheese, seasonings, and reserved pasta water.
 
What makes this Moroccan Green Spaghetti 🍝 very different from any other “similar” recipe is the pesto. I don’t use any kind – no, no, no -, I use one of my Pesto 8 Ways (2 series), and it’s my Moroccan Pesto recipe!
 
Can you make it with just regular pesto? Of course, BUT you’ll be missing out on flavor! The ingredients that go into it are more complex than the basic pesto simply made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese 🧀. Have a look, and you’ll understand why you should make it… Moroccan Pesto
 
To achieve the perfect consistency for the sauce, some reserved pasta water 💦 is added when blending the ingredients. It doesn’t need much to get a nice, thick consistency… maybe a ¼ cup at the most! I suggest adding a little at a time.
 
Although ideal for today’s celebration, this delicious Moroccan Green Spaghetti is perfect for a weeknight meal. It’s easy and quick to make 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳, plus loaded with healthy ingredients! It’s certainly an original recipe you’ll want to try soon…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Check out these other tasty pasta recipes… 😀
– Italian Sausage, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
– Pasta alla Caponata
– Creamy Tortellini Boscaiola
– Duck Ragù with Pappardelle
– Italian Gnocchi Casserole
– Crab Shell Pasta
– Cacio e Pepe
– Pastitsio
– Lasagna Roll Ups
and for even more pasta recipes 🍝, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/moroccan-green-spaghetti/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Cake Flour Substitute Recipe - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

 

Unless you’re a professional baker 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 or baking is your passion, how many types of flour do you need? According to my research, there are 15 types of flour – it’s insane! There are the common wheat-based flours and the gluten-free ones. Many of them, though, can be made from scratch…
 
I admit, I have a few, and I’m blaming Club Foody for that! There’s my regular unbleached all-purpose flour, bread flour I like using for making pizza dough and bread 🍞, my 00 for pasta, and my homemade toasted flour. Now, if I need others, I try to duplicate them.
 
Besides my toasted flour that I use to enhance the gravy for my Ragoût or Gumbo, there are others I make at home 🏡, like self-rising flour, whole wheat, almond meal, rice flour, and even bread flour, using vital wheat gluten.
 
Another one that can easily be made at home is a Cake Flour Substitute! More than likely, you probably have everything on hand: all-purpose flour and cornstarch, although other starches can be switched, like arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch 🥔.
 
To obtain the same fine texture, after these two ingredients are combined, it’s important to sift them together for about 4 to 5 times. Then, I like whisking the Cake Flour Substitute until well blended. These steps help aerate the flour to achieve gorgeous lightness in your baked goods, like angel food 🍰 or chiffon.
 
Did you know that when using exactly the same ingredients as Cake Flour Substitute (based on 1 cup), you can recreate Pastry Flour 😮?
The difference is a slightly higher protein content. When making it, sift only twice. Another way to duplicate it is to mix equal parts of all-purpose (AP) flour and cake flour. Sift these two together a couple times as well. For larger batches of flour, reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon for every cup of AP.
 
Bleached vs. Unbleached Flour…
Both can be used to create cake and pastry flour. The difference lies in the final texture of your baked goods.
– The preferred one is all-purpose flour because it’s finer, whiter, and mimics the delicate texture of commercial cake flour.
– Unbleached all-purpose flour works fine, but the results will be slightly denser due to the fact that it’s not chlorinated, which is what breaks down the starch in bleached flour. It also requires a touch longer baking time ⏰ as it absorbs less moisture than its counterpart.
 
I compromise when I make my cake flour because I prefer using unbleached all-purpose flour over the bleached one. It’s a personal choice. It’s chemical-free 🚫🧪 and aged naturally over several weeks, allowing it to whiten on its own.
 
What’s the downside of not using bleached all-purpose flour when baking?
The baked goods will have a slightly coarser crumb and may not rise as high 🎂 as those made with bleached flour. In terms of moisture, the batter might feel “wetter” therefore, it would require somewhat longer baking time. Overall, the baked goods won’t turn out as delicate and light.
 
If you stick to unbleached all-purpose flour to make your cake flour, here are a few tips to help improve it. Sift, sift, sift, sift, and sift again, then whisk it. This will ensure the mixture is well-aerated. If you make sponge and chiffon cakes, Boston cream pie, or angel food cake, stick to bleached all-purpose 😉.
 
Making a Cake Flour Substitute from scratch has many pluses…
It’s convenient, as you likely have these two ingredients in your cupboard, therefore, it’s cost-effective 🏧. The texture is far superior to the commercial ones, and the gluten content is lower by using cornstarch. Spend a few minutes and make this great alternative…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are a few tips and tricks that can be quite helpful… 😀
– Perfect Meringue
– Homemade Sanding Sugar aka Sand Sugar
– Parchment Paper Rounds for Cakes
– Chocolate Honey Graham Cracker Pie Crust
– Vanilla Sugar – How to Make It
– Sugared Herbs and Fruits
– Perfect Whipped Cream Every Time – How to
– Keep Moisture Out of Powdered & Granulated Foods
– Leftover Evaporated Milk Ideas
– How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly
and for more handy kitchen tips and tricks 💡, click on this link… Recipe Category • Tips & Tricks
 
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube