Pretzel Bites with Canadian Bacon and Cheese

Many have seen and made the popular pizza bites (we call them blobs) but I wanted something slightly different. I happened upon pretzel bites, very similar but made with pretzel dough. I found this recipe and decided to swap the ham for uncured Canadian bacon which contains less sodium and fat and fewer calories than an equivalent serving of ham.

Canadian bacon as I am using the term is a lean cut of pork loin from the back of the pig. Outside of the US Canadian bacon is slightly different, being cured in sweet pickle with a crust of cornmeal. That is not this. It's also not bacon. As stated, it's lean.


I also found it easier to use cubes of cheese rather than shredded cheese as originally called for. This makes it easier to assemble and seal the dough around the filling. I also chose to leave out the extra salt topping. The pretzel cooking method of boiling the dough in water with baking soda as well as brushing the top of the finished dough supplies enough saltiness for my taste, even in my 6 month pregnant condition.

These were salty goodness in a small bundle. Trust me.


Pretzel Bites with Canadian Bacon and Cheese
based on recipe from Pennies on a Platter
Ingredients
2 1/2 tsp active yeast
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp brown sugar, divided
1/4 c warm water
1 c warm milk
3 c flour
6-8 pieces Canadian bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 lb Monterey jack cheese, cubed (about 32 cubes)
6 c water
4 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp butter, melted

Directions
1. Combine the yeast, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and warm water in a bowl. Set aside until foamy. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and warm milk.
2. Add 2 cups flour and the milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Mix until blended well. Add the last cup of flour and mix dough in mixer with dough hook until soft dough forms.
3. Apply oil to the inside of a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, draft free spot for about 2 hours, until dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
4. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Working on a floured surface, roll a piece of dough into a square. Divide into 8 smaller squares. Using a fourth of the bacon and cheese, top each square. Fold dough over filling and press to seal. Place seam down on a greased cookie sheet. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes, uncovered.
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Place water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add baking soda. Lower heat to keep a gentle simmer in water. Add pretzel dough, working in small batches. Allow each batch to cook for 20 seconds, turning once while cooking. Place boiled dough on greased cookie sheet.
6. Baked pretzel bites in 400F oven for 10-15 minutes until browned. Brush with melted butter.

Adobe Chicken

I recently took a day to read When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Hothe. It was a captivating tale about the Philippine Islands during World War II. I won't go into detail about the book (you can read reviews about it yourself) but I will say I enjoyed it, and it inspired this recipe.

A constant struggle faced by the people is starvation. At one point, one of the characters describes adobe chicken (also spelled adobo) and how delicious it is cooked until the garlic is sticking to the meat. A simple description is given of how it is prepared. Based on the book's description and a few recipes found, I prepared this dish in no time.

This dish has intense, full flavor and is absolutely delicious. There is no need for salt as it has quite a salty flavor from cooking in vinegar and soy sauce. I found that sliced green onions and some diced, fresh tomato accented the savory chicken well. Quick, easy and tasty, this dish is a winner.

Filipino Adobe Chicken
2 lb chicken pieces, with skin and bones
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 c water
1/2 c soy sauce (recommend using reduced sodium)
1/2 c rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place chicken in a pot. Add other ingredients to pot. Cover and heat to simmer over medium heat; cook 25 minutes. Remove cover and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced and onions and garlic begin to stick to chicken. Serve over rice.

Dark Cherry Pie

Cherry pie screams summer to me. When the craving hit, it was saying, "Don't settle for canned cherry pie filling, make me special!" But, I didn't want to spend hours or a small fortune on buying and pitting fresh cherries. What to do? Frozen dark cherries. May I recommend Trader Joe's brand? That is, if you have one in your area.

The dark cherries give this a nice flavor that isn't an overwhelming sugar bomb. And the pie crust is a standby that I use for all pies, sweet or savory. It is excellent: buttery, flaky and scrumptious. And the pie is perfect on its own or a la mode. Have doubts? Try it!



Dark Cherry Pie
double pie crust (recipe follows)
3 lbs frozen dark cherries, thawed and drained
1 c granulated sugar
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg white
1 tbsp water
coarse sugar

Double Pie Crust
2 2/3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c butter, well chilled and sliced
7-10 tbsp ice water.

1. To prepare the pie crust, mix flour with salt. Cut in butter (this may be done with a food processor). Add about 6 tablespoons of ice cold water to flour and butter mixture. Toss with a fork adding more water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together. With hands, press together and lightly kneed. Divide into two balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for half an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a pie dish with butter.
3. Combine cherries, sugar and cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes. Heat in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mixture is nicely thickened. Set aside.
4. Roll out crust. Place one crust in prepared pie plate. Sparsely prick the bottom with a fork. Fill crust with cherry mixture. Top with second crust.
5. Make an egg wash by mixing the egg white with water; blend well. Brush over top of crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake in 375F oven for 20 minutes; loosely cover pie with aluminum foil and continue to bake for an additional 25-35 minutes. If necessary, remove foil for last 5 minutes to obtain a rich golden color for the crust.

Helpful Tips:
*Don't refrigerate the dough longer than half an hour or it will become too stiff to roll well. Otherwise, allow it to sit a bit at room temperature before rolling.
*If cutting designs from top crust, do this before placing on pie.
*Use extra dough pieces to make shapes to add to pie crust. Fasten by applying a dab of water to use as glue for the attached pieces.
*Pinch the rim of the crusts between knuckle of index finger and thumb for a seal between the two crusts that is also attractive.