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The desolation of Smaug is indeed cause for celebration as the old worm lies dead amid the smoldering ruins of Esgaroth. The burglar Bilbo Baggins proved his quality to the once doubting company of Dwarves by outwitting the Dragon and discovering his weakness — an unprotected patch under his left breast. Fatally pierced by the Bowman’s arrow, the treasure of Erebor was restored to its rightful owners. The Dwarves had their revenge at last!
While news of the dragon’s demise spread, it was fitting for the thirteen dwarves and their burglar to celebrate. With the city in ruins, the celebration would be sparse. But our dear Hobbit is nothing if not resourceful, and also very fond of parties. He rallied the younger Dwarves Kili and Fili and off they went on another mission — this time to look for provisions for the party amid the ruins of the town. Kili and Fili wished there might be more than roasted coneys on the menu — they talked of the sweet seedcakes that were part of every Dwarf family celebration. Because of his heroism, the townsfolk took pity upon Bilbo and offered him what little they could find left of their provisions. He inquired whether there might be any ingredients to bake a tasety treat, as they had been on their journey for a very long time and he was yearning for some of the comforts of his home back in the Shire. One of the dear old women of the city brought him to the rubble that had been her home and offered whatever he might find there. As luck would have it, Bilbo managed to scrounge up a bit of this and a dab of that and unearthed a few pots while he was at it. Kili and Fili came running — Kili was carrying a goat and Fili had a chicken in one hand and two eggs in the other! It seemed like their wish would be granted as they watched Bilbo work his magic, though there would not be enough to share with all the rest. After baking it on the open fire Bilbo cut it into four sections — not three. Kili and Fili protested that if he cut the cake into three pieces they would each have more. But Bilbo had another plan. Taking his slice and the fourth with it, he led the young Dwarves back to the camp with Kili and Fili protesting the whole distance. But once they arrived, they witnessed the legendary Hobbit hospitality as Bilbo offered the fourth piece to Thorin, their leader. If anyone else should enjoy this sweet revenge, it was he.
“Seedcake for Gimli” The recipe is a bit like a scone in a pan. In my version I substituted Chia seeds. I’d been wondering what to do with them and I don’t care for caraway which is in the original! I also added a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the wet ingredients before adding the dry. I baked mine in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. I cannot vouch for the recipe’s 45 minute cooking time because my oven is not heating properly, but at 350 degrees in my oven I only needed 20 minutes but that could be due to the cast iron. Definitely use the middle rack as suggested so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. I am not sure if the recipe is meant to be slightly thinner than a biscuit dough, then it would have taken longer. The only other thing I did differently is not sift the flour. Give it a try! I’m going to have it for breakfast with a bit of yogurt!
Apologies to Middle-earth Recipes, but this one is not posted on their site. Its a little something I concocted that seemed to require a Middle-earth identity.
Easy as (meat) pie to make! All you need is:
2 sheets of refrigerated puff pastry dough, thawed
1 pound of ground beef (chicken or turkey would work too)
1 cup Salsa
1- 1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese or a Mexican Blend
1 cup Spicy Black Bean Dip (Trader Joe’s preferred)
1 pint Sour cream (for topping)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions as garnish
One regular size muffin tin for 12 muffins
Cooking spray
Roll out the puff pastry dough to about half of its “out of the box” thickness. Cut six equal squares from each of the two sheets of dough. They don’t need to be exact, but should be about 3 inches square in size so they drape over the outside rim of the muffin tins.
Spray the tins with a light coat of cooking spray. Place the dough squares into regular size muffin tins and without stretching too much gently shape the dough into the tin to form a well for the meat to fill.
Brown your ground meat and drain the grease from it. (The best way to do this is to layer paper towels on a plate and spoon the meat onto the paper to soak up the excess oils.)
Mix the spicy bean dip into the meat to hold it together and to give it flavor. If you want to add other seasonings, be my guest!
Fill each pastry-lined muffin tin with a couple of tablespoons of the meat/bean mixture.
Cover each one with one tablespoon of chunky salsa (if it is too liquid it will make the pastry mushy.)
Top with about 1/8 cup of grated cheese
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown
Cool just a bit, then add a dollop of sour cream and a few sprinkles of green onion
This should make 12, maybe a few more, depending on how well you are able to get the pastry dough to cooperate!
If you happen to own a tamed dragon, then you know how they can be very handy in the kitchen!
- They can re-light your pilot when the gas stove goes out.
- You don’t need a torch to create a lovely carmelized sugar on top of your Crème brûlée
- Meringue toppings on your pies will have just the right touch of brown
- They will roast the skins right off of those poblano peppers when making chiles rellenos
- And it goes without saying they’re mighty handy around a campfire for making s’mores!