Caramelized Garlic Chèvre Stuffed Bread #BreadBakers

Caramelized garlic and chèvre - goat cheese - fill this wonderful savory loaf that is then topped with more cheese. Set this on your brunch table and watch it disappear!

Just the words caramelized garlic chèvre stuffed bread make my mouth water. You should have smelled the house while the garlic was caramelizing in butter and then while the loaf was baking! Pretty much torture, but fortunately there was relief in sight.

This month my Bread Bakers group is featuring garlic in honor of National Garlic Day on the 19th of April at the instigation of bread baker extraordinaire and our host this month, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. You might recall that I participated in Garlic Day celebrations the last two years, making slow-roasted lamb with 40 cloves of garlic in 2014 and garlicky lobster shrimp scampi in 2015. This year time got away from me so I was grateful to Karen for making sure that one of my favorite national food days did not go by uncelebrated in this space.

This recipe was adapted from Thyme For Cooking.

Ingredients
For the dough:
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 packet rapid rise yeast (1/4 oz or 7g)
1/4 cup or 60ml water
1/8 cup or 30ml milk
1/8 cup or 30ml olive oil, plus a little extra to oil the bowl
1 egg
1 egg yolk (save white for glaze)
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups or 150g whole wheat bread flour
1 cup or 125g strong white bread flour

For the filling:
3 1/2 oz or 100g cloves garlic
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
8 1/2 oz or 240g goat cheese (I used a mix of fresh and slightly aged.)
1 egg white, beaten

Method
In large bowl, dissolve sugar in water and sprinkle in yeast. It should foam up within a few minutes. If it does not, get some new yeast and start again.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil, egg, egg yolk, and salt to combine. Add this to the yeast mixture with the whole wheat bread flour and stir well.

Add in about three quarters of the white bread flour and mix to make a soft dough.

Turn it out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more of the remaining flour if the dough is too sticky.

Oil your mixing bowl and pop the dough back in, turning the ball to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest for 20-25 minutes. When you are using rapid rise yeast, this takes place of the first rise. If you do substitute regular yeast, leave to rise until doubled.

While the dough is resting, we’ll caramelize the garlic. Cut the fatter cloves in half and put them all in a pan with a tight fitting lid, with the water, butter, olive oil, sugar and a sprinkle of salt.

Cook  covered over a medium heat for a few minutes until the garlic softens. Remove the cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, keeping a careful eye out for burning, until all the water has evaporated and the garlic has turned a lovely golden color. Remove from the heat. Add a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

To assembly the loaf, roll the dough out into a rectangle of about 12x17 in or 30x43cm.

Spread the mustard up the middle of the rectangle and then scatter on the caramelized garlic.

Starting near one end, use a sharp knife to cut diagonal strips all the way along the sides, up to the filling.

Crumble your goat cheese and set aside a good handful for topping. Sprinkle the rest of the crumbles on top of the mustard/garlic.

Fold one end in and then brush the top with the beaten egg white.

Fold the strips up and over, alternating sides, brushing the tops in between with egg white to help the strips stick together.

When you get near the other end, fold it in.

Then continue brushing with egg white and folding the strips over until all of the filling is covered. Carefully transfer the loaf to a lined baking pan. You can, of course, do the shaping on the lined baking pan but then you have to be very careful when cutting the dough strips that you don’t cut your silicone liner or parchment paper.

Brush the whole top again with the whisked egg whites. Set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes, then preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

When the oven reaches temperature, bake the loaf for about 25-30 minutes or until it is lovely and golden.

Remove the loaf from the oven and sprinkle on the reserved cheese crumbles.

Return it to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is slightly melted and just starting to brown in places. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

How will you celebrate National Garlic Day? May I suggest you bake some delicious garlicky bread?

• Black Garlic Parmesan Sourdough Bread from Magnolia Days
• Buttery Garlic Cheddar Rolls from Kylee Cooks
• Buttery Garlic Knots from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Buttery Garlic Pull Apart Bread from Cook's Hideout
• Caramelized Garlic Chèvre Stuffed Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Cheddar, Garlic and Jalapeño Beer Bread from A Palatable Pastime
• Cheddar Garlic Dinner Rolls from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cheese and Garlic Biscuits from A Baker's House
• Cream Cheese Stuffed Garlic Rolls from Herbivore Cucina
• Domino's Style Garlic Bread from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Easy-Peasy Garlicky Mini Rolls from G'Gina's Kitchenette
• Garlic Batard from Hostess at Heart
• Garlic & Gorgonzola Focaccia from Baking in Pyjamas
• Garlic, Herbs and Cheese Bread from La Cocina de Aisha
• Garlic Naan with Green Chiles from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Garlic Pull Apart Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlic Sunflower Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Gluten Free & Vegan Garlic Breadsticks from What Smells So Good?
• {Gluten Free} Seeded Black Garlic Flat Bread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Green Garlic Parathas - Flat Bread from Sneha's Recipes
• Herbed Garlic Butter Garland Bread from Ruchik Randhap
• Multi Grain Garlic Naan from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pissaladière from The Bread She Bakes
• Roasted Garlic Focaccia from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Triple Garlic Knots from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Whole Wheat Garlic Ciabatta Bread from Cooking Club

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send me an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

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Sausage Apple Onion Tart #FridayPieDay

The apples and sausages go together beautifully, as pork and apples are wont to do, with the lovely added flavor of baked onions, in a crisp, golden puff pastry crust.  

The beauty of pies and tarts is that they can be sweet or savory. If you aren’t much of a dessert person, you can still enjoy a delicious pie, just add some sausage or salami. This month’s Friday Pie Day tart makes the perfect brunch, lunch or dinner fare and the ingredients are easily changed out for whatever you might have on hand.

I started by making my rough puff pastry recipe, or rather, I should say, Gordon Ramsey’s rough puff pastry recipe, cut off a little more than half and wrapped up the rest and popped it in the freezer. If you haven’t attempted rough puff before, I recommend you try it. It’s easy and way less work that actual puff pastry. In a pinch, of course, you can use store-bought puff pastry.

Ingredients
1 green apple (for example, Granny Smith)
2 teaspoons canola or other light oil
2 medium purple onions
6 fat sausages (about 14 oz or 400g)
A few fresh tender sprigs thyme – or leaves off of older sprigs
12 1/3 oz or 350g rough puff pastry dough from this recipe
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with baking parchment or a silicone liner.

Cut the apple in half, core it and cut it into thin slices, discarding the very end pieces that are all peel. Toss the apple slices in a medium sized bowl, with the oil to stop them turning brown.

Peel the onions, cut them in half and then slices them into thin wedges.

Toss them in the bowl with the apples.

Add the thyme sprigs, ripped into smaller pieces.

Cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife of a pair of scissors. Mix the pieces in with the apples and onions.

Roll out your rough puff pastry into a large rectangle and trim the edges to make sure it will puff up successfully.

Gently score a line all the way around the inside with the tip of a sharp knife. This will be your puffy, crunchy crust, so don’t be skimpy with the margin.

Spread your mustard all over inside the scored line.

Tip the sausage, apple and onion onto the pastry and arrange it as evenly as possible all the way out to the scored line.

It's a pretty tall pile but it will bake down, I promise.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden and the sausage pieces are cooked through.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Enjoy!

This sausage apple onion tart is my contribution to this month's Friday Pie Day, the brilliant creation of Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. (Formerly girlichef.)

I am pleased to join her on the last Friday of each month for pie and crust recipes, techniques, tools of the trade, and other inspiration.

For more information and recipes, please check out her #FridayPieDay page!

Coronation Chicken Filled Croissant Horns #FoodieExtravaganza

Curry powder and fruit chutney spice up the creamy sauce for coronation chicken, classic British picnic fare. Serve it stuffed in croissants for a pretty party dish.

I was sitting, nay, lounging (because it was New Year’s Day and there was Champagne!) in the Emirates Airlines lounge in London Gatwick airport just a few days ago, when I decided to check out the cold buffet. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being in an Emirates lounge, you know that the dishes on offer are always tasty as well as presented in a most beautiful manner. But for once, I was disappointed. Oh, the coronation chicken was beautiful, spooned as it was onto a crispy green lettuce leaf, surrounded by fanned out slices of fresh apple and mango. But it was missing the zip of curry and chutney I’ve come to expect with this dish, which is one of my favorites. All in all, it was rather bland. When I expressed my dismay, my husband smiled, “Now you’ll have to make your own, right?” That man does know me.

So here I am with my coronation chicken, a recipe compiled from several found in my cookbooks and on the internet. The unifying theme of each seems to be the sauce, made with varying proportions of cream or mayonnaise and yogurt or even just mayo, with the addition of curry powder and chutney, usually with some lime or lemon juice. Some had apples, some celery. Tomato paste and no tomato paste. Others added blueberries, mango, dried apricots or sultanas to the mix. Some started with roast chicken, pulled off the bones; others with chopped poached breasts and yet others didn’t specify how the chicken should be cooked. Only that it should be. SO MANY RECIPES.

I’m sharing it today stuffed into disemboweled croissants. Yes, I just used disemboweled on a food blog. It’s one of those lovely English words that sounds exactly as it should, don’t you think? This month’s Foodie Extravaganza theme is croissants so I briefly considered making some puff pastry horns in which to serve my coronation chicken. I even own the little metal forms around which to bake the pastry. But it’s been a busy week and, frankly, it’s way easier for all of us to hollow out some fresh croissants from a nearby bakery and fill them.

And don’t they look pretty? Best part of all, of course, is the spicy coronation chicken inside.

With many thanks to Rosemary Hume, the original creator of the recipe for the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II plus Delia Smith, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and all the other innovators who have come along since, this is my rendition.

Ingredients
For the sauce:
3/4 cup or 170g mayonnaise
1/2 cup or 125g plain thick Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon hot curry powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons spicy fruity chutney (I used my own habanero nectarine kumquat chutney.)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Optional but recommended: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
1.1 lbs or 500g chicken breasts (Just two large breasts in my packet.)
1/4 cup or 45g pomegranate arils, plus extra to garnish, if desired
1/2 medium-sized tart apple (I used a Jazz weighing about 170g whole.)
Generous squeeze lemon juice (to keep the apple from browning)

To serve:
7-8 fresh croissants
Optional: some small lettuce leaves (They keep your plate clean, if that even matters to you. Otherwise, give your guests a fork as well.)

Method
Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise through their middles so they will cook faster.

Poach them in lightly salted water to cover, until just cooked through. This shouldn't take more than about 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Still slightly pink in the middle. 

Drain and set aside to cool. You can pop them into the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Mix all of your sauce ingredients in a large bowl, big enough to hold your chicken and other ingredients later, with room for stirring.

Add a good squeeze of lemon juice to a small bowl. Peel, core and dice your apple, sliding the pieces off of the chopping board and into the lemon juice, stirring to mix the apple with the lemon juice, as you go.

Once the chicken is cool, chop it into small pieces. Tip it into the sauce with the pomegranate arils and chopped apple.

Stir well. Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary. This can be used immediately but will taste better if allowed to hang out in the refrigerator for a few hours, covered with cling film.

When you are ready to serve, cut your croissants in half and use a sharp knife to cut all around the inside to remove the middle. Once you’ve gotten as much as you can out, use your index finger to press around inside the half croissant to expand the space.

I was surprised to find that my croissants had herbs inside. But it was a pleasant surprise. 

Fill the croissant horn with coronation chicken, pushing it right to the bottom with a small spoon. Lay the horn on a leaf of lettuce, if using, or straight on a serving plate, if not.

Garnish with a few pomegranate arils for color.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month's Foodie Extravaganza host, Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas. Check out all the great croissant and crescent roll recipes we've got for you!

• Almond Croissant French Toast by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Bacon Fig Dippers for Melty Cheese by Cooking with Carlee
• Baked Cinnamon Raisin Croissant French Toast by From Gate to Plate
• Beefy Green Chile Braid by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Breakfast Croissant Ring by Our Good Life
• Chocolate Croissants by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon and Apple Croissant Bread Pudding by The Freshman Cook
• Coronation Chicken Filled Croissant Horns by Food Lust People Love
• Croque Monsieur Croissants by Caroline's Cooking
• Pain Au Chocolat by Making Miracles
• Pain Au Jambon by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant with Maple Dijon Sauce by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Triple Meat Croissants Breakfast Casserole by Cookin' and Craftin'

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme every month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook group Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out here.

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Cauliflower Cheese Waffles #WaffleWeek2015

Lots of strong and bitey cheddar and tender cauliflower florets make a savory waffle that is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I am a sucker for an enthusiastic invitation and folks who are organized. Way back in July, I read a Facebook post from Kim of Feed Me, Seymour proclaiming her love of waffles and inviting bloggers to join her for a celebration of those fluffy squares in far away September. That's what I call planning ahead! (Thanks, Kim!) I had been ruminating already about the possibility of cauliflower cheese waffles ever since I created the loaded baked potato waffles for National Waffle Week last year so Kim’s invitation was just the push I needed. If you love waffles like we love waffles, make sure to scroll down after my recipe to see all the creative variations we are sharing today!

My friend, Jane, has kindly invited me to share a Thanksgiving feast with her dear family twice in the last few years. First when I was all alone and lonely, just before we moved from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo and then again last year when my visit in KL happened to overlap with the holiday. I was delighted to accept because 1. I love her and her family and 2. She makes the best cauliflower cheese. It’s an essential dish in her Thanksgiving line up with its thick, cheesy sauce poured over cauliflower then baked to golden perfection. I could eat just that and be happy forever. I was channeling Jane’s dish when I created these savory waffles.

Ingredients for six or seven square Belgian waffles
Florets from 1/2 small cauliflower (Approximate weight 7 1/2 oz or 220g)
1 cup or 125g flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon mustard powder – I use Coleman’s.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup or 90g grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, plus more to serve, if desired
1/2 cup plain thick Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1 egg
Canola or other light oil for greasing waffle iron

To garnish: a sprinkle of chopped green onion tops

Method
Steam the cauliflower florets for about 5-7 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the pot and allow to cool in the steamer or in a colander so any excess moisture will drain off. Transfer to some paper towels to dry further.

Once the florets are completely cool and dry, chop them up roughly. You want them in pieces that will show up in the waffles without being so big that they stop the waffle iron from closing.

Combine the flour, sugar, mustard powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Pretend the pepper is there, okay? I did add it after the photo.

Tip the cauliflower pieces into the flour mixture and stir well so they are coated with flour.

Now add in the grated cheese and stir well.

Whisk the egg, yogurt and milk together in a smaller mixing bowl.

Preheat your waffle maker as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Now fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix!

Using a pastry brush, grease your waffle maker with a little canola oil.

Spoon the manufacturer’s recommended amount of batter into the center of the lower half of the waffle maker, being careful to leave room for when the batter spreads out as you lower the lid and also for when the waffle starts to rise when baking.

Close the lid and watch for the signal that your waffle is cooking. On my waffle maker, the light goes green when it is ready for batter, red when it is cooking and then green again when the waffle is ready. I leave the waffle in just a little bit longer after the light turns green the second time so the waffles are nice and crispy. But if you like them less crunchy, by all means take them out earlier.

Serve topped with a little extra grated cheese and some green onions, if desired.

If you have any batter left over, go ahead and baked the waffles and store them, wrapped in cling film, in the refrigerator or freezer. These reheat beautifully in the toaster.

Enjoy!

Special thanks to Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for our lovely graphic!

Are you ready for Waffle Week 2015? Whether you like ‘em sweet or savory, we’ve got you covered!

Appet-affles

• Cheese & Pear Waffle Appetizer by The Freshman Cook
• Waffled Polenta Crisps with Caponata by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Breakf-affles

• Buckwheat Waffles Benedict by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Churro Waffles by A Nerd Cooks
• Coconut Flour Waffles with Spiced Pineapple Syrup by Aloha Flavor
• Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Pecan Waffles by Rhubarb and Honey
• Orange and Dark Chocolate Waffles by Cookie Monster Cooking
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Stuffed French Toast Waffles by The Spiffy Cookie
• Potato Waffle Eggs Florentine by Eats Well With Others
• Pumpkin Waffle Sandwiches with Apple Butter and Melted Brie by Go Go Go Gourmet

Waffl-ides

• Brown Sugar Chicken and Waffles by GirlCarnivore
• Cauliflower Cheese Waffles by Food Lust People Love
• Chicken and Spiced Sweet Potato Waffles by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hummus Waffles with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Mac and Cheese Waffles with Honey Bunches Chicken by Baking In A Tornado
• Sweet & Savoury Sausage & Apple Waffles by Fuchsia Freezer
• Sweet Potato Waffles with Horseradish Sauce by Our Good Life

Dessert Dish-affles

• Apple Pie Waffles by Spiced
• Banana Split Waffles by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Homemade Waffle Cones by Eva Bakes
• Neapolitan Waffles by Dinner at the Zoo
• Pumpkin Pecan Waffles by Feed Me, Seymour
• Pumpkin Pie Waffle Cake by Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Red Velvet Waffles with Bourbon Cherry Syrup & Cream Cheese Drizzle by Cooking In Stilettos

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