- 18 minutes ago
Girl Meets Farm - Season 15 Episode 13 -
A Colossally Cozy Dinner
A Colossally Cozy Dinner
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00:00Get it up, the faster I can taste it.
00:02Hallelujah!
00:03Asian chicken pot pie with a crust made out of layers
00:06of fluffy scallion pancakes.
00:08Dang!
00:09That is so flavorful.
00:11Saucy and sticky orange broccoli and cauliflower.
00:14I am not going to be able to stop eating this.
00:17Aren't you glad it's just a bunch of veggies?
00:19Juicy pork potsticker stir fry.
00:21Get at me!
00:23I almost don't even want to share this with the girls.
00:26And for dessert, my five-spice gingerbread cookies
00:28with tangy cream cheese frosting, shine.
00:31Five-spice, more like five stars.
00:39I'm putting together a hearty dinner for the family
00:42because it's my favorite thing to do.
00:44It's how I show my love.
00:45For dessert, I'm making frosted five-spice gingerbread cookies.
00:49They're soft and sweet and flecked with the uniquely cozy flavors
00:54of Chinese five-spice, and then they get finished
00:56with a thick layer of orange cream cheese frosting.
00:59They're sort of like a gingerbread cookie for sugar cookie people,
01:03such as myself.
01:04I'll start with the dry ingredients for the dough.
01:06Three-and-a-half cups of all-purpose flour.
01:08A teaspoon of baking powder.
01:10A little bit of baking powder is really helpful in the overall softness
01:14of the cookie.
01:15But what I love about these cookies is that they hold their shape
01:19with crisp edges after they're cut out.
01:21Teaspoon of kosher salt.
01:23Another star flavor of the show, Chinese five-spice.
01:26It's got cinnamon, cloves, fennel, anise, and Sichuan peppercorn.
01:31So you get the licorice notes of the fennel and the anise,
01:34and then that little peppery bite from the Sichuan peppercorn.
01:37It is such a complex, cozy combination of spices.
01:41All the flavors work so gorgeously together.
01:44I'm bumping up with a tablespoon of cinnamon
01:46because cinnamon truly is a key flavor of gingerbread.
01:49Ginger gets the naming rights,
01:51but cinnamon lays the foundation for everything.
01:54And then, of course, some ground ginger.
01:56And it's that signature zinginess that makes for a great gingerbread.
02:00And I'll just whisk this together.
02:03Cookie decorating is a central part of winter.
02:06We go all out with the buttercream and the sprinkles.
02:09And typically, we do sugar cookies
02:11because those are the most fun to decorate.
02:13But always a little part of me feels bad
02:15that we skimp out on the traditional gingerbread.
02:18So this actually kind of combines the two.
02:20I'm using gingerbread flavors in a sugar cookie shape
02:23and topping it with frosting
02:25because frosted cookies are the best cookies.
02:28It's good to go.
02:30In my stand mixer, I'll combine one cup of softened unsalted butter
02:33and then four ounces of cream cheese.
02:35is my secret ingredient for making a cutout cookie
02:39that once it bakes up, it retains this gorgeous softness.
02:43It'll also contribute a little bit of tang, which is so tasty.
02:46And then one and a quarter cups of dark brown sugar.
02:49I'll beat this up until it's creamy and combined.
02:55This isn't like a fluffy cake
02:56where you have to beat in a ton of air
02:58in order to get a fluffy crumb.
03:00I love a cutout cookie that is super-duper dense.
03:03So I'm not too concerned with beating in a ton of air at this stage,
03:07which is great.
03:08Takes less time.
03:09I'll crack in an egg.
03:14And splash in some vanilla.
03:16And then turn the mixer down to low
03:18and gradually incorporate the dry ingredients.
03:21The smell of the Chinese five spice is so nostalgic for me.
03:24It makes me think of Peking duck and char choux.
03:28It's combined when I can no longer see any dry bits of flour.
03:32Let me grab some plastic wrap.
03:35I'll divide it in half, wrap it in plastic,
03:37and then refrigerate it for a few hours.
03:39And this is also the type of thing you could make a couple of days in advance
03:42and just keep in your fridge until you're ready to bake.
03:45It's smelling so good already.
03:50My dough is chilled.
03:51It's ready to be rolled out.
03:52I'm rolling this out to a scant quarter of an inch thick,
03:55so just slightly less than a quarter of an inch.
03:57It'll be just thick enough to stay soft after they've baked.
04:03That looks good.
04:04I'll cut out my shapes.
04:05I'm using a star.
04:06And it's a big star because a big cookie is a tasty cookie.
04:10You get a lot of those chewy innards.
04:13And stars are fun to decorate.
04:16Just like that.
04:17I love those clean edges.
04:19I'll place it onto a baking sheet that's lined with parchment.
04:22I'll keep on cutting and then I'll actually freeze these for an hour
04:25before baking at 350 for eight minutes
04:28until they're no longer shiny and just set.
04:30And then I'll get going on the frosting.
04:34It's just butter, powdered sugar, and salt.
04:39Start on low, then increase speed to high once you know the sugar won't fly.
04:43Oh, that rhymed.
04:44Add some cream cheese, orange zest, vanilla, and beat some more.
04:51Then scrape into a piping bag fitted with a quarter inch tip for frosting ease.
04:55Easy peasy.
04:57My cookies are cool.
04:58They smell incredible.
04:59I'm ready to frost and decorate.
05:02So I like a cookie with a frosting as opposed to an icing that hardens.
05:07You can't beat a really soft, fluffy frosting.
05:10I've got it in a big piping bag with a fairly large tip.
05:14I honestly like almost a one-to-one ratio of cookie to frosting.
05:19So I'm going to pipe on a thick layer.
05:23I'm doing these big cartoon-like lines.
05:29Ta-da!
05:30I'll finish with a little dusting of cinnamon.
05:32That way that's the first thing that you smell when you go for a bite.
05:35Speaking of going for a bite...
05:37I'm just going to steal taste.
05:39Mm-hmm.
05:42Mm-hmm.
05:43They're soft and sweet and so cozy.
05:46And the brightness from the cream cheese and the orange and the frosting
05:49balances everything out.
05:51Five spice, more like five stars.
05:53For the main event, I'm making my Asian chicken pot pie.
06:09It's got a super hearty, super flavorful filling that's loaded with chicken and ginger.
06:14And it gets topped with a freaking scallion pancake crust.
06:19Go off, pie.
06:20I start with the filling and then do an easy puff pastry scallion pancake hack.
06:25I've got some oil in my pan here.
06:27I'm building everything in my braiser and then serving it out of that as well.
06:30I've got onion and celery along with some scallions.
06:34I'll just add the white parts of the scallions right now.
06:36It must take a little bit longer to cook.
06:38A pinch of salt.
06:39And then I'll cook these for a few minutes to soften.
06:43And if I had to choose, I would say that chicken pot pies are the coziest food of all time.
06:49They're just like soup, but more.
06:51They're heartier.
06:52They're creamier.
06:53And then you have that crust.
06:55Oh, and with the scallion pancake crust, this is going to be otherworldly.
07:00Next, I'll toss in some ginger and garlic.
07:02Is ginger the theme of the day with the gingerbread cookies?
07:06I'm okay with it.
07:07A little crushed red pepper for some heat.
07:09I'll let this cook until it's fragrant.
07:12You want to be careful not to overcook the ginger or the garlic and cause them to burn and get bitter.
07:17I'll start to build the base of my pot pie.
07:20So with any pot pie, I do the veggies and then add some flour, which is going to thicken up the liquid and create that creamy sauce.
07:27I'll get in six tablespoons of all purpose flour.
07:30And whenever you're adding flour to a dish like this, you want to cook it for a couple of minutes before adding the liquid.
07:36And that toasts the flour and it gets rid of that floury flavor.
07:40I'll switch to a whisk now and then whisk in two and a half cups of low-sodium chicken stock.
07:45So you want to add this gradually to create the smoothest sauce.
07:49The first food that Bernie ever inhaled when she was probably about eight months old was chicken pot pie.
07:56So I know she's going to be into this.
07:59You can really start to feel it in your whisk when it's thickened up and you can kind of see the tracks that the whisk leaves.
08:04So I'm ready to add the chicken.
08:06I've got four cups of cooked chicken here.
08:09I'll toss this in.
08:10I like to use a mixture of chicken breast and chicken thigh so you get those contrasting textures.
08:16Okay, I'll fold this in.
08:18Then you can't have a chicken pot pie without peas.
08:20I'm just using frozen peas, which will thaw almost immediately when they hit the hot mixture.
08:26They're like little balls of sweetness scattered throughout.
08:28And then a few of the scallion greens, but I'll actually reserve most of them for the topping.
08:32Some black pepper.
08:33I'll season with a bit of soy sauce.
08:36A splash of rice vinegar adds crucial acidity to balance out the flavors.
08:40And then to maximize its coziness, half a cup of heavy grape.
08:44I'll stir this all together.
08:46This looks so creamy and good.
08:48All right, I'll remove it from the heat while I make the scallion pancake crust topping.
08:54I've got two sheets of store-bought puff pastry that I've thawed.
08:58You can either do it in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 45 minutes or an hour.
09:03And I'll roll this out until it's a wide 18 by 12 inch rectangle.
09:08You want to work fairly quickly and keep it as cold as it can be to maximize those flaky layers once it bakes up.
09:14My rectangle's rolled out.
09:16I'll drizzle it with some toasted sesame oil.
09:18Even though it's called a scallion pancake, sesame is a necessary part of it.
09:23Because this sesame oil infuses it with so much flavor.
09:26That dark toasty notes paired with the fresh scallions are such a great flavor match.
09:31I'll sprinkle with my reserved scallion greens.
09:37A pinch of salt.
09:39And I'll roll this up like a jelly roll.
09:41I want a nice tight roll to lock in all the scallions.
09:44Okay.
09:45And then I'll coil this up like a snail to create layers upon layers of scallion.
09:51Sesame.
09:52Goodness.
09:53I'll roll it out again.
09:54And I'll roll it out this time to be a little larger than the top of my brazier here.
10:00So it's going to be quite large.
10:01I can start to see the scallion greens through the dough.
10:04I'll brush this all over with egg wash to help it get shiny and golden on top.
10:09I'll brush the edges of the brazier with some egg wash too.
10:15And this will be glue that will help the puff pastry stay on.
10:19I'll cut some slits on the top for vents so that the steam can release as it bakes.
10:23I'll transfer it to the brazier.
10:26Drape it over the top.
10:28Oh, it looks so good.
10:30I want to make sure it touches all the edges.
10:33And then before it goes in the oven, some flaky salt and sesame seeds for crunch.
10:38Oh, that's so pretty.
10:39I'll bake this at 425 degrees for 30 minutes,
10:43tenting with foil for the last 10 so that it doesn't get too brown.
10:46Cozy town, here I come.
10:51It smells spectacular in here.
10:53Let me check on that pie.
10:55Yum.
10:58That is one gorgeous pot pie.
11:01I'm going to go for it right now.
11:03Because family means that you don't care if the person who cooked the pot pie snakes a taste before serving it.
11:10You know what this needs?
11:11It's some hot Chinese mustard for just a touch of that sinus clearing deliciousness.
11:25Dang.
11:26That is so flavorful with that ginger and the scallions and that crust is so chewy and crispy and flaky and good.
11:36This is some alpaca sweater level coziness in one spoon.
11:40I'm going to go for a side dish that is vying to be even more comforting than the main.
11:50I am making orange broccoli and cauliflower.
11:53It's basically orange chicken, but with veggies.
11:55So it's healthy-ish.
11:57I'm starting with half a head each of cauliflower and broccoli and I'll coat them in some flour, season with some salt.
12:04And it's so easy just to put them all into a bag and shake them up.
12:07This is a job that Bernie and Ira would love to do.
12:10I'll just get them fully coated in the flour.
12:12And this just helps the surface of the veggies stick really well to the batter.
12:15All right, that's it for the batter.
12:18I'll start with three quarters of a cup of all-purpose flour.
12:21And three quarters of a cup of rice flour, which will help the batter fry up to be light and crispy.
12:27Two teaspoons of baking powder will allow the batter to puff up while it fries.
12:32And a teaspoon of salt and I'll whisk together.
12:35This is just like a tempura batter.
12:37I love a battered vegetable.
12:40Kind of creates this shell that's crispy on the outside, but chewy once you get right below the surface.
12:46Such a good texture.
12:48One and a half cups of seltzer adds the bubbles that will keep this batter light and airy.
12:54This will be a very thin batter, but it puffs up in the fryer.
12:59I love seeing this bubbly batter come together.
13:02I'll transfer my veggies to the batter and get them fully coated.
13:07Cauliflower and broccoli are so great with this because their florets catch the batter and just provide so much delicious textural excitement.
13:16Broccoli is one of the few vegetables that Bernie and Ira reliably eat with excitement.
13:22So we have it pretty much every other day.
13:25They've got to have it crispy.
13:26They're actually pretty snobby about their broccoli texture.
13:29If they have broccoli somewhere else and it's not crispy or salty enough, they won't eat it.
13:33But this deep frying is going to take the broccoli crispiness to a whole other level.
13:38I'll toss these to allow the batter to coat everything.
13:41And then I'll get them into my pot of oil.
13:43I have a couple of inches of neutral oil heating to 350 degrees here.
13:48And this is exactly the sizzle you want to hear.
13:50Add a couple of spoonfuls.
13:52I'll fry these for four to five minutes until they're golden all over.
13:57And I'm frying in cast iron, which is a great vessel for deep frying because cast iron holds heat very well.
14:04And it kind of slows that dropping of the oil temperature once the cold veggies go into the oil.
14:10And one thing I love about orange chicken is how the nuggets are all very smooth and almost blob-like in appearance.
14:18And that's what's happening here, too.
14:21The batter is just getting so puffy and happy.
14:24And there are still some craggles, though, which is important because those craggles will catch the sauce and add for some great crunchy excitement.
14:32Even if the batter starts to turn lightly golden, you want to make sure to go for the full four to five minutes because it's important that the veggies cook all the way through.
14:41This is the golden brown color that I'm looking for.
14:44And I love seeing those craggly bits.
14:46They'll be extra crunchy.
14:47I'll transfer these to a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drip off.
14:51And I'll just hold them here while I fry up the rest of the batch.
14:55And then I'll make my sauce.
15:00This sauce contributes tang and zippiness, and it just shellacks the veggies with glossiness.
15:06I'm starting with some orange juice, and to this I'll add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, rice vinegar for acidity.
15:13I love a sweet salty combo, but you also got to have some sour.
15:17A couple of teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, and then a quarter cup of apricot jam, which will help the sauce caramelize and thicken.
15:25And then it'll woo onto the veggies in that deliciously sticky way.
15:30And a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken everything up.
15:33I'll whisk this until it's smooth.
15:35I love to have this combination of orange and apricot so you get complex fruitiness.
15:40Now ultimately it's going to be heating it up that thickens it, but before I add it to my pot to thicken, I'll sizzle together some aromatics.
15:47I'll add a drizzle of oil to my big braiser here.
15:50And I'm using a pot that's big enough to add in the veggies after I've made the sauce.
15:54I'll sizzle some scallions and garlic and ginger.
15:59And crushed red pepper.
16:00I love a kiss of heat in this dish.
16:02I'll pour in the sauce.
16:07I'll simmer this for just a minute until it thickens.
16:09Mmm.
16:10That is a really good smell, and a really good smell is the key to a cozy kitchen.
16:15Oh yeah, it's getting thick.
16:17When you can drag your spoon across the bottom of the pot and see it's tracked the whole way, you know it's thick enough.
16:26Alright, it's go time.
16:27I'll add the veggies right into the sauce.
16:30I'm so excited.
16:31I like handling these.
16:33They're so satisfying and crunchy.
16:35I'll toss them all together and get them fully coated in the sauce.
16:39This looks so good.
16:42Yowza.
16:44The faster I can plate it up, the faster I can taste it.
16:48This is the perk of wearing sweaters.
16:52Hallelujah.
16:56Look at that steam coming off of it.
16:58It still needs toasted sesame seeds.
17:02And scallions.
17:04And this is just giving my hands something to do while it cools so that it's not lava hot going into my mouth.
17:11Which one of you do I want first?
17:12I want you.
17:13It's so sweet and sticky and the breading is so crunchy and chewy and satisfying.
17:28I am not going to be able to stop eating this.
17:30Aren't you glad it's just a bunch of veggies?
17:32To really stir up this dinner, I'm making my potsticker stir fry.
17:44It's just a quick and easy veggie base with juicy pork dumplings to make it craveable.
17:49I'm starting with my potstickers, just frozen pork potstickers.
17:53I keep these on hand at all times.
17:55The girls cannot get enough of them.
17:58I've got some oil in my skillet here.
17:59I'll spread these out so that all of them can make contact with this skillet and start to get crispy.
18:05Sometimes when I see my girls inhaling bananas, the grossest food of all time,
18:10I am like, whose child is this?
18:13You are not related to me.
18:14But then when I see them eat potstickers with as much exuberance, I'm like, oh yeah, we're totally related.
18:21And now to get the insides hot and steamy, I'll add a quarter cup of water and then quickly cover it up.
18:26This is a two-step process. Step one, make them crisp. Step two, make them cook throughout.
18:31I'm always looking for ways to make potstickers into a full meal.
18:35Sometimes I'll put potstickers on a salad, but one day I just cooked up some veggies right along in the skillet with them.
18:42Throw in a sauce and bam, you've got to stir fry.
18:45They smell so good.
18:46All right, I'll uncover these.
18:49Hello.
18:51And allow the steam to evaporate.
18:53Oh, look at that good brown color.
18:55This is my happy place.
18:57A can of dumplings.
18:59I'll get these out of the skillet to make way for the veggies.
19:04Add a little more oil and then I'll get going on my veggies.
19:08I've got some broccoli, bell pepper, and onion here.
19:12Within a pile of potstickers, I'll eat any veggies.
19:15Smells so good.
19:17And I'll cook these for just a few minutes.
19:19If your pan ever seems dry, you can add a little bit more oil.
19:25They're so colorful.
19:27Bernie just had a rainbow birthday party.
19:29This would have been perfect for it.
19:31I'll sprinkle in a few cashews.
19:33I'll let them toast.
19:34Cashews are such a happy nut.
19:35They're always smiling.
19:37I'll have the potstickers back in.
19:39This is almost like a pasta dish.
19:41If you think of the potstickers as like ravioli.
19:44I'll bring this all together with my sauce.
19:47Sriracha.
19:48Soy.
19:49Rice vinegar.
19:50Sesame.
19:51Water.
19:52Cornstarch.
19:53Salt.
19:54Ginger.
19:55Garlic.
19:56Mix it up.
19:57Sauce done.
20:00The sauce just adds the most delicious bit of heat.
20:03Brings everything together.
20:05This is my ideal form of balance.
20:08Fried potstickers.
20:10Rainbow of veggies.
20:11I'm so here for this.
20:13I cannot wait.
20:14I'm going to get a serving bowl immediately.
20:17Oh, yeah.
20:19Get at me.
20:22I'm so excited.
20:24I almost don't even want to share this with the girls.
20:27I'm going to spoon this one.
20:29Oh, yeah.
20:30Here we go.
20:35Mm-hmm.
20:37Those potstickers are so crispy and juicy.
20:40And these veggies are perfectly cooked.
20:42Time to get this colossally cozy dinner started.
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