Panko Crusted Cheese

I found this recipe in a magazine called Inspire that they sometimes hand out for free at a grocery store I shop at.

• 1 wheel of ripened soft cheese around 150g (we used Brie)
• 1/2 cup tempura batter
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup Panko
• Oil for deep frying

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut cheese in half to create two flat circles. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges on prepared baking sheet and freeze 1 hour (we didn’t freeze that long, which I think was a mistake; don’t skimp on freezing time!).

2. Preheat oven to 305F (we didn’t end up baking ours because they were kind of melting because we didn’t freeze long enough).

3. Prepare tempura batter according to package. Season with salt and pepper. Place panko crumbs in a shallow bowl.

4. Heat a large skillet with 1 inch of oil over medium-high heat.

5. Working in batches, dip each piece of cheese in tempura batter and then into panko, coating evenly. Carefully place the panko crusted cheese in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove cheese from oil and place on a paper lined plate. Transfer cheese back onto baking sheet and place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble (we didn’t do this last step as the panko crust looked pretty browned and the cheese was melting and we didn’t think cooking it more was a smart idea).

Verdict: Despite the panic that the cheese was melting away, these ended up being good. I liked the panko crust and they are definitely the best cheese stick (or wedge) that we have made. I will definitely be trying this one again.

Honey Mustard Chicken

I found this recipe in the French language Metro newspaper.

• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (we didn’t use)
• Pinch of pepper
• 3 teaspoons orange juice
• 3 teaspoons honey mustard
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Spread the onions on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the chicken breasts on top of them.

2. Mix together all other ingredients except the sesame seeds. Pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

3. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until chicken is cooked through), basting every 15 min.

Verdict: This was a good but not great recipe. It was edible and nothing tasted horrible or off but there was a richness of flavour missing so that in the end I found it to be an unmemorable dish.

Caramel Apple Pie

This is a Pillsbury recipe.

• 2 pie crusts
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (we used walnuts)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 cups apples (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 1/3 cup caramel sauce

1. Cook bottom pie crust as per the package instructions. Spread nuts over the bottom crust.

2. Preheat oven to 425F.

3. In a big bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice, then add to sugar mixture. Pour into crust and cover with second crust. Bake 35 to 45 min. Let cool. Serve with caramel sauce.

 

Verdict: This wasn’t a bad recipe it just wasn’t an amazing recipe (even if we ignore the fact that we lightly burnt the edge of the crust of our pie). I’ve had better apple pies so I was left a little let down by what I had been hoping was an amazing caramel apple pie.

 

Rocky Road Cookie Pizza

This is a Pillsbury recipe.

• 1 roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts (we didn’t use)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup caramel topping

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Press the cookie dough out onto a greased pizza pan. Bake 15 min.

3. Sprinkle the marshmallows, chocolate chips and peanuts (if using) over the base. Bake 2 to 3 more minutes.

4. Drizzle the caramel sauce over top and let cool before serving.

Verdict: This were ridiculously good. The perfect snack for a lazy weekend watching movies.