Cooking

Memorial Day Barbecue Ideas?

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:05:58 GMT

Hi Everybody

Mother's Day was a great success, thanks to people's suggestions so now I'm back, asking for ideas for Memorial Day barbecue.

I know for sure that I'm going to serve barbecued brisket. It's an easy make-ahead recipe which I like, because I won't be stuck cooking while everyone else is having fun in the backyard.

The brisket is hearty and can be eaten either on a sandwich roll or just plain with plenty on barbecue sauce. Dessert, I'm thinking brownies and ice cream.

I'm also going to make a green salad but . . what else would be good for our first backyard party of the season?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Lobster Roll Salad

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:12:27 GMT

I was recently inspired (by Michelle Bernstein, who is my BFF. Not really. But she did talk to me. I promise. Go look at it on my blog.) to get a little more creative with salad. I took a beloved, traditional dish — the lobster roll — and transformed it into a lower carb salad version that was a little lighter on the mayonnaise and butter. The tangy, fresh lobster salad on the bright butter lettuce felt so springy and happy, but the garlic butter croutons were the piéce de resistance. Mike sliced up some juicy watermelon for dessert, making this a quintessential (and amazing) spring meal.

Lobster Roll Salad

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 2 servings

Lobster rolls are buttery, tangy, bright, and fresh. This recipe continues those themes in salad form! The salad pictured above used only half as much lobster salad as the recipe below makes; I tweaked the amounts below because I thought it'd be nice to have more. Don't do store-bought croutons, by the way. These croutons are insane and make all the difference in the salad. I'll never buy those dry brick croutons ever again!

Ingredients:
1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

12 ounces cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
dash of hot sauce (I use Frank's Hot Sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped vidalia onions
2 teaspoons chopped green onions
2 heaping teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 - 2 kaiser rolls, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves roasted garlic (or 1 clove fresh)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and steep the garlic clove(s) in it for a couple of minutes before adding the bread cubes and tossing them to coat. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet (leave the cloves with them) and bake for 10 minutes. Toss the cubes and bake 5 minutes longer or until as crisp as you prefer. Remove and let them cool, discarding the garlic cloves (or saving them for another use).

Place the lemon juice in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Drop in the lettuce leaves and toss to coat. Season them with salt and pepper and set in the fridge to chill until used.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and hot sauce. Stir in the onions, green onions, and parsley. Gently toss in the lobster meat so as not to break it up. Salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the salad by placing the dressed lettuce on a platter, spreading around the croutons, and piling on the lobster salad. Serve immediately.

...and for dessert:

To see Michelle Bernstein giving us salad tips (!!! I'm a little star-struck.), read about my salad troubles, and see more photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!

x-posted to food_porn, picturing_food, cooking, cookingupastorm

Chorizo, Tomatoes & Garlic Linguine

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:45:23 GMT

I made this last Saturday after coming back from the car dealership in Glasgow because someone did a hit-and-run job on our car! It wasn’t badly damaged…though I can’t say the same about my pocket. Seems even the smallest dent costs an absolute fortune to fix! *Sigh* As if I’m not poor enough already. Thank goodness it doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a good home cooked meal!

Ingredients:

1tsp Garlic Paste

3 Chipotle Sausages – caskings taken out

1 chili – deseeded and finely sliced

1/4 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp thyme

Tomatoes diced – 5 red and 4 yellow (you can add more if you want)

2tbp Olive Oil

2tbp white wine

Salt & Pepper to taste

Enough linguine for 2

Method:

Cook linguine according to instructions

Meanwhile heat oil in pan.

Add the chorizo to the pan and break them up with your spoon.

Once the chorizo is half cooked, add the garlic, chili and herbs.

After two minutes, add the tomatoes and mix well.

Add the white wine and leave to simmer for 3-5 mins.

Add the cooked linguine and mix well.

Season and serve.

Click here for recipe and pictures...

Vegan Flatbread Pizza Recipe

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:10:05 GMT

Last month I catered my sister in law's wedding. It was quite the challenge since they needed options all the way from Vegan to Steak and just wanted appetizers. Flatbread pizzas were the way to go! It was so fun coming up with different kinds of fancy pizzas. Here is my first installment of my Flatbread Pizzas - a Vegan Roasted Squash and Asparagus Flatbread Pizza. Even if you are a meat-eater, this is sure to satisfy your pizza cravings, while leaving the boring typical toppings behind.

For more check out my blog at: The Realistic Housewife Thanks!

There are a lot of components to this one, so bear with me!

Sauce
1 Butternut Squash
1 Large Yellow Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tablespoons of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Softened (tofu cream cheese)
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/8 Ground Pepper (I used red peppercorns)
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons EVOO

Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in frying pan on medium low
Cut onion in long strips, leave garlic unpeeled
Caramelize onions, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes (I tend to make a big batch and then freeze for later use)
Scooch those onions over and heat garlic, unpeeled, until soft (3-5 minutes)
Squeeze garlic out of peel into food processor and add caramelized onions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut butternut squash length-wise and drizzle with 2 tablespoons EVOO (both sides) on a cookie sheet, laying squash cut side down
Bake for 30 minutes
Let cool and peel
Add squash, seasonings and tofu cream cheese to food processor

Flatbread Crust
3½ Cups Enriched Bread Flour
2 Cups Warm Water
1½ Teaspoons White Sugar
1½ Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt
Light Dusting of Cornmeal

Instructions:
In the mixer bowl add water, yeast and sugar and stir with fork and let sit for 10 minutes until frothy
Add flour and salt
Using a dough hook, mix on low for 4 minutes
Let rise, covered with plastic wrap 12-24 hours in the fridge
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Roll out very thinly on lightly floured surface
Lightly dust flat cookie sheet (or back of jelly-roll style cookie sheet, or pizza stone) with cornmeal
Bake for 12 minutes, or parbake for 3-5 minutes (right as it starts turning gold) if you want to freeze for later use

Pizza
1 Flatbread Pizza Crust
2 Tablespoons Roasted Squash Pizza Sauce
¼ Yellow Onion
1 Tablespoon EVOO
1 Bunch Asparagus (10-12 spears)
A Couple Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper

Instructions
Cut onion into long slices
In frying pan heat oil and saute onion until brown
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Partially bake crust alone 5 minutes
Spread squash sauce over pizza
Add caramelized onions
Add washed asparagus (snap off the bottoms of the spears)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
Bake another 5-7 minutes
Sprinkle with fresh thyme

Summer Lemon Tart

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:00:48 GMT

This easy lemon tart is the perfect combination of sweet and sour. The crust is buttery and slightly sweet, and the lemon curd filling is refreshing and light. It's a bit messy, but that's kind of what summer is all about.

For more pictures, and to read about what I love and hate about summer in Vancouver, head over to Leanne Bakes!

Summer Lemon Tart

Leanne Bakes

Ingredients

Pastry:

2 cups flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar (could be reduced to 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup ice cold water (optional)

Lemon Curd:

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Begin by making the pastry. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter, and pinch with the fingers to make fine crumbs. Make a well in the middle. Stir together egg and sugar, and pour into the well.

Swiftly mix in with the fingertips until the mixture forms a dough. If needed, add one tablespoon of the cold water at a time. Do not overmix. Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out one half of the chilled dough, and press into an 8 or 9inch tart or pie dish. Line with foil, and fill with beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Piece the bottom of the tart with a fork, then bake again until golden brown - about 20 more minutes.

To make the filling, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the eggs, lemon juice, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, and add to the pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of it. The mixture should reach a simmer, but no higher. Stir in the butter.

Pour the lemon curd into the baked tart pastry and allow to set.

Butterscotch Chewy Cake - A Vintage Pillsbury Award Winner!

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:18:15 GMT

A winner from a 1955 Pillsbury baking contest, this chewy, pecan filled cake is rich with butterscotch flavor. Topped with butter pecan ice cream and caramel sauce makes it a decadent and very tasty warm weather dessert!

So much more over at The Alchemist.

Butterscotch Chewy Cake

Adapted from the 2nd prize winner of Pillsbury Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest 1955, Mrs. Richard Enloe Atlanta, Georgia

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups (400 g.) packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter - melted

1 1/2 cups (190 g.) sifted all purpose flour - sift first then measure

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups (146 g.) chopped pecans

3 Tablespoons Scotch Whiskey (optional, but recommended)

For serving

Ice cream, butter pecan or vanilla or whipped cream - optional

Store bought or homemade Caramel Sauce - optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4. Grease well a 13 x 9 inch pan, set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter and stir together. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir together well, until incorporated. Add the chopped nuts and the scotch whiskey (if using) and stir again until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until it springs back lightly when touched lightly in the center, and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, I used butter pecan ice cream and store bought caramel sauce for topping and it was marvelous!

Dreamy Raspberry Magic Streusel Bars

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:25:40 GMT

I spent my entire life looking for McDreamy.

I've finally found it.

Okay, maybe this isn't a precise replacement for McDreamy, but I will guarantee that whether you're:
a) still searching for McDreamy/McDreamess,
b) looking to impress the current McDreamy/McDreamess in your life, or
c) just looking for a really excellent dessert to stuff your face with while you await McDreamy/McDreamess' arrival

this is your dream dessert.

So take the leap over here and try it--you won't want to miss this recipe!

Dreamy Raspberry Streusel Magic Bars

Adapted from a fantastic original recipe at Mom on Time Out

Ingredients:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

2/3 cup white sugar

3/4 butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups sweetened coconut, flaked

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry preserves

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate (for drizzling)

1/3 cup white chocolate (for drizzling)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, white sugar, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Press lightly and evenly into bottom of prepared pan.

Sprinkle coconut over graham cracker crust, then pour sweetened condensed evenly over coconut. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and cool completely. While waiting for bars to cool, make streusel topping (recipe to follow).

Spread raspberry preserves over cooled bars. Press prepared streusel lightly into the jam.

Place semisweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir; return to microwave and continue heating at 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is completely melted. Do the same for the white chocolate. Drizzle melted chocolates over the bars, then cut and serve!

For streusel topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped pecans or nut of your choice (optional–if you omit them, increase oats by 1/2 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Press lightly onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until light brown. Crumble while still hot; set aside to cool completely.

Press into the tops of your magic bars!

Cookie Butter Cookies (with Coffee Butter and Salted Caramel Butter)

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:58:20 GMT

I made cookies out of cookie butter (which is, essentially, ground up cookies) and then put flavored butter on top of them. Are you confused? Me too. SO many cookies, so much butter.

But they are delicious. I topped half of the cookie butter cookies with coffee butter and half with salted caramel butter.

Cookie Butter Cookies

Recipe by: Adapted from Housewife Eclectic
Yield: 24 cookies

These warm cookie butter cookies are delicious right out of the oven, or schmeared with coffee butter, salted caramel butter, or even a little extra cookie butter!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crunchy cookie butter (Trader Joe's Speculoos Spread or Biscoff Spread)
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and two sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the cookie butter and egg and combine. Add in the flour, baking sodar, and baking powder, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently remove from the pan to a cooling rack so the bottoms don't get too brown. Cool completely and spread with coffee butter, salted caramel butter, or more cookie butter!

To get the recipes for the salted caramel and coffee butter, read my review of the cookbook Flavored Butters, see my comparison of Biscoff Spread and Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter, or enter to nab a jar of Biscoff Spread, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!

x-posted to food_porn, picturing_food, cooking, bakebakebake

Puy lentil tacos

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:55:43 GMT

Using http://budgetbytes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/lentil-tacos-743-recipe-093-serving.html?m=1 I made the taco seasoned lentil filling using puy lentils. I loathe lentils but bought some puy to try and this really is fantastic.

150g fine polenta (cornmeal)
150g plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
180ml water

1.
The first step is to make the dough. You will need a mixing bowl. NOTE: I used my kitchenaid to make it. Mix all ingredients until a dough forms. I started with 200ml water but only needed 180 in the end so don't add all your water at once, retain 50ml and add more as needed until the right consistency
2.
The next step is to roll the dough. Have baking parchment, a rolling pin and kitchen scissors ready. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Put one ball of dough between two sheets of baking parchment and gently press it with your hands. Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough through the baking parchment until it has a diameter of about 18cm.

I made each round as the other fried in a non stick frying pan with no oil.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Pancake Brunch Ideas?

Sat, 11 May 2013 11:45:38 GMT

I'm making my fabulous sour cream pancakes for brunch tomorrow and would love some ideas of things to go with. Here's what I thought of so far

- orange juice (no mimosas - we have a recovering alcoholic in the family)
- bacon
- my famous pancakes with maple syrup
- homemade fruit salad
- banana bread
- coffee

This all seems so ordinary and not special. Also high in carbs with little to balance things out. (I'd rather make scrambled eggs but the pancakes are a special request)

Any suggestions/ recipes would be greatly appreciated!

Searching for a pineapple and rum cocktail recipe...

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:58:53 GMT

And Google has not helped despite my certainty that I came across this recipe on the internet. About six months or so ago, I made this drink that contained pineapple, rosemary, and rum, but what made it special (and what eludes my Google-fu) is that rather than just pineapple juice, I had to peel, core, and boil a whole pineapple (almost certainly with some sugar), let steep the rosemary, and then add the rum. I'm fairly certain the original recipe called for two or three different types of rum (gold and dark, iirc, and maybe something else), but I only used gold. I'm also fairly certain that these were the only ingredients, but I can't be fully sure. I think at the end I added some club soda to the mix, but I don't believe this was called for in the recipe itself.

Does this cocktail sound familiar to anyone at all?

I think I could muddle my way through the process by memory, but I'd prefer to consult the recipe for proper proportions.

Any help would certainly be appreciated! I'd love to serve this drink at a dinner and for Mother's Day lunch. Thanks in advance.

Lots of Apples

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:46:46 GMT

Home made applesauce is usually better than store bought, but it takes so long to make it's usually not worth it.

On the other hand, apples, nuts and wine make a great dessert or snack.

Also, apples - crunchy, sweet, with that bright red skin - make a great snack even raw.

Looking for a recipe that uses Italian sausage/pre-diabetic recipes

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:20:39 GMT

Hello everyone I am looking for a recipe that uses Italian sausage where it gets tricky is my Roommate is pre-diabetic so I need recipes that are heavy on the produce and light on the pasta and rice. Thanks in advance!

While I am at it does anyone know any place to look up recipes for people that are pre-diabetic?

Chicken Mac and Cheese

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:56:39 GMT

We went to a close-out store called Ollie's a little while ago, and I found a Better Homes and Gardens low calorie cookbook! There are a ton of tasty looking recipes, and I can't wait to try them out. I did get to try one of them, though! A delicious, creamy, and filling mac and cheese. This dish is so creamy, and doesn't skimp on flavor being light! I adapted some of the ingredients to fit my personal tastes.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Serves 5
369 Calories | 12g Fat | 85mg Cholesterol | 393mg Sodium | 33g Carb | 4g Fiber | 33g Protein

1 1/2 c Dried Multigrain Elbow Macaroni
12oz Skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 12oz bag frozen broccoli florets
1-6.5 container light semisoft cheese with garlic and herbs (Laughing Cow brand)
1 2/3 c fat-free milk
1 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 box frozen spinach, squeezed of water

Cook macaroni according to package, but do not add salt (you will change the sodium content if you do); drain

Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and frozen broccoli, and cook 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and broccoli is tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in semi-soft cheese until melted.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add to chicken mixture, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add macaroni. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheddar cheese and spinach, cook 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately

Chili Verde - Green Chili with Pork

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:38:07 GMT

This was my chili entry to the 1st ever chili competition of its kind in Glasgow. It was held in Ad Libb (a bar/restaruant) on Cino De Mayo. The competition was fierce and needless to say, I didn't win, though I didn't really think I would(I did get a mention though!). There were also alot more entries there than I expected. I've been wanting to make a green chili for a while now and this was just the perfect excuse.

Getting fresh ingredients was a bit of a challenge but that didn't deter me. I was determined to make this dish!

Click here for recipe and more pictures

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:07:39 GMT

I had chicken thigh fillets defrosted, it was late and I needed something quick that could cook itself.

In a side plate add 3 tablespoons of mayo, (mix with a little olive oil, 1tsp garlic granules and dry oregano) in another grated Parmesan and on a dinner plate breadcrumbs (I had and used panko).

Smother the chicken both sides with mayo, preps slightly on the parm on one side then coat in the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-30m at 180C. Turn once and in the last 5-10min to get colour I put the oven to 210C. It made 6 thigh fillets, would work fine with breast I just buy thighs as it's cheaper.

It's that simple!! And was moist and delicious with a crispy crunch.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

mini-pie baking time?

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:14:12 GMT

I plan on making Schadenfreude pie (http://whatever.scalzi.com/2006/09/26/how-to-make-a-schadenfreude-pie/), only I'd like to make mini-pies, in a muffin tin. (You really only do want a little bit at a time!)

My question is, how long should I cook them for? The regular size pie cooks for 45-50 minutes, so I was thinking 10-15 minutes for the minis-does that sound reasonable? Obviously, I would be poking the center to make sure they were done, but a basic guideline would be helpful.

did I murder my muffin tin cups? ;__; can i still use them?

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:07:34 GMT

so, don't ask me what happened because i have no idea. Maybe it's because I had run out of those muffin paper cup thingies (name escapes me now) and made a citric muffin last year, but this year, when I recently made some banana ones (this time with the greased paper cup thingies in place), after i washed it it just... disintegrated into rust.

like, serious case of rust. Having in other instance used vinegar to battle rust, i poured vinegar in my muffin cups and left them a day or two, and then i get my first clue something weird- it smelled terrible. Like, mayonnaise wanting very badly to go bad.

When I remove the vinegar, tho, ti's sparkly and clean and perfectly shiny- for all two minutes. Then it rusted right back.

since the muffin doesn't touch this part of the tin cups, I'm not worried about that, but the idea of rust + hot oven + stuff I'm gonna eat makes me wary.... Can it be done? is there anything I can do to save the tray?

thank you for any and all advice!

ps: if possible I'd also like ideas as to what went wrong? previous to last year i had used the tins without trouble each time, and washed it without signs of rust?

Flan Tres Leches Cake

Mon, 06 May 2013 02:42:52 GMT

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I made you a flan cake.

A flan tres leches cake, to be exact. Like, flan and tres leches cake in the same dessert. No kidding.

Flan Tres Leches Cake

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, inspired by and/or adapted from Bake Love Give and All Recipes
Yield: 10-12 servings

If you love flan and/or tres leches cake, you're in for a treat. This cake has an incredible flavor and an even more fantastic texture. It's also surprisingly easy to whip up. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo, but I hope you'll make it all year long.

Flan Ingredients:
1 (13.4-ounce) can can dulce de leche (or make your own)
3 eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Ingredients:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 eggs (To get 1/2 egg, break one egg into a bowl and lightly beat it; discard half)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tres Leches Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and spray a 10-inch bundt cake pan really well with cooking spray. Pour the dulce de leche evenly over the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Make the flan batter: In a large bowl, mix together the 3 eggs, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour this mixture evenly over the dulce de leche layer.

Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl (if you used a spatula to scrape all your flan batter out of its bowl, just use that one again), cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add in the 2 1/2 eggs and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well. Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing after each addition. Pour batter over the flan layer in the bundt cake pan (it'll sink in a bit -- no worries). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester inserted into just the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Pierce the cake several times with a skewer or fork. Let the cake cool.

Drench the cake: Whisk together 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 can condensed milk, and 1/4 can evaporated milk. Pour this mixture over the top of the cooled cake. Cover and chill the cake overnight (or at least a couple of hours, I'd say -- you want the mixture all to sink into the cake) before loosening with a thin knife or spatula all around the sides. Carefully invert onto a serving plate (caramel and milks will ooze -- it's a saucy dish -- so one that has a shallow lip or even a slightly bowl-like platter is ideal). Whip up the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to stiff peaks and dollop or pipe it all around the cake. Serve chilled with strawberries.

To read about the demise of my $600 leather couch, find out whether or not I disowned my cat after that incident, or see more photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!

x-posted to food_porn, picturing_food, cooking, bakebakebake

My kid's Favorite Holiday Food - And its cheap :)

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:29:37 GMT

My kids love this so much, they remind me to shop for it.

Its basically potatoes, onions, and eggs.

Yum :)

Sun, 05 May 2013 19:50:07 GMT

Hi everyone! I've turned my love of baking into a small business and I'm so excited! I'm so grateful for everyone's support. I've been baking my butt off haha! Please take a minute and check out my blog/site that I am still working on: http://www.casitachilena.com. After the cut there are A LOT of photos of what I've been whipping up lately. If you've any questions, just let me know. Thank you and enjoy all the yummy pictures!

Honey Sweet Rolls

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:32:24 GMT

I, like every reasonable person, am extremely fond of excuses. I love excuses because they can come in a variety of forms. Observe.

Please excuse these honey sweet buns. I’m sure your boss didn’t even notice you salivating, so you can wipe the drool off your keyboard and continue browsing these pictures at your leisure–er, or discretion.

You will also need to excuse my lack of consideration in posting yet another fluffy yeast-filled gif that makes you wish they’d hurry up and figure out a way to make the stuff you see on your computer screen edible.

Sorry guys!

Intrigued? Hop on over to my blog for some more drool-worthy gifs and ridiculously fluffy dinner roll pics :)

Enjoy!

Honey Sweet RollsOriginal recipe from Averie Cooks, who knows what she’s doingIngredients:

1 cup water, warmed to ~130 degrees F (slightly hot to touch but not so hot it will scald your skin)

1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast

1/4 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 3/4 to 4 cups flour (bread flour will yield chewier + lighter results; I used APF and it was still pretty fluffy)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey

Directions–from Averie’s site:

Add water to a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to warm it, about 30 seconds. Testing with a thermometer is highly recommended, but if testing with your finger, water should feel warm but not hot.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the water and sprinkle the yeast on top of it. Beat on low speed for about 10 seconds, just to combine; let mixture stand for 10 minutes.

Add the egg, 1/4 cup honey, oil, salt, and mix until well-combined, about 2 minutes on low to medium-low speed. Add 3 cups flour and beat until a sloppy, wet, loose dough forms. Scrape off any dough bits stuck to the paddle, remove the paddle attachment, and put on the dough hook.

With the dough hook attached, turn mixer on low speed, and slowly sprinkle in remaining 3/4 cup flour. If necessary to obtain soft, smooth, non-sticky dough, sprinkle in the full 1 cup flour that remains (for a total of 4 cups flour, rather than 3 3/4 cups, noting that the more flour used, the denser the finished rolls will be). Knead dough for about 8 minutes. It will be firm, smooth, not sticky, and elastic. Turn dough out onto aSilpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or floured work surface and knead dough by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, just to get into the nooks and crannies with your fingers the dough hook may have missed and make sure dough is very smooth and uniform in texture. Place mounded ball of dough in a cooking sprayed or lightly greased large bowl and cover with plasticwrap. Place bowl in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. Tip – Preheating your oven for 1 minute to 400F, then shutting it off (make sure you shut it off), and quickly sliding the bowl in so the hot air doesn’t escape is one way to create a warm environment; think 85 or 90F summer day warm environment. A cooler environment simply means dough will take longer to rise.

After dough has risen and doubled, punch it down to release the air bubbles, and turn it out onto a Silpat or floured work surface. Knead for about 1 minute. Mound dough into a ball, place it back into the bowl, cover it, and allow it to rest and relax for about 10 minutes, making it easier to shape into rolls.

Prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.

Place dough on Silpat or floured work surface, and using your hands, roll it into a long cylinder shape, about 12 to 15 inches in length, and it will about 3 to 4 inches in girth. Divide the log into 12 uniformly-sized pieces with a dough cutter or sharp knife. Roll each piece into a ball, creating surface tension on the top of the ball by stretching the dough over itself a bit and pinch off the bottom, tucking the dough into itself. Place each piece into the prepared pan, seam side down, uniformly spaced, four rows by three. (Dough may also be rolled into just a simple ‘plain ball’, without pulling on the top surface of dough to create tension and not bothering to pinch off the bottom a bit, but I find they rise better and are fluffier if they’re pinched off rather than just round dough globes)

After all pieces are in the pan, cover it with plasticwrap and allow to dough to rise for about 30 minutes. While dough rises, preheat oven to 400F. A good place for this rise is placing baking pan on the stovetop while oven is preheating for the carryover warmth.

Prepare honey-butter mixture by melting butter in a microwave-safe bowl on high power, about 1 minute. To the melted butter, add 2 tablespoons honey and stir to combine; set aside. After the rolls have risen and before baking, brush tops and sides of dough with the honey-butter mixture, getting into the sides and crevices and with a pastry brush. Bake rolls for about 15 minutes or until golden; they bake up very fast and watch them closely so the honey-butter mixture doesn’t burn in this very hot oven. Allow rolls to cool before serving. Serve with Honey Butter or Cinnamon-Sugar Butter

Kulichi (Russian Easter cakes)

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:12:12 GMT

I rarely go into baking yeast cakes or bread, but sometimes there is definitely room for that in life. Exactly like I do enjoy making my own cakes for Christmas, some years I do like baking my own kulichi for Easter. They are not really labor intensive, but they certainly are time consuming. However there are times when spending a thoughtless half a day around the kitchen making something homey the same as times and times before feels just right. Especially given that proper home made kulichi are incredibly good. None of the bought counterparts will ever get close to them.

In essence kulichi are yeast fruit cakes. What makes them special is their richness - I mean LOTS of butter. They turn out very soft, airy and crumbling. So they are wonderful together with pascha - traditional cheesecake we also make for Easter. However it is not at all necessary. You can easily serve them just with tea or add some plain cream cheese on the side.

I really like adding good vanilla and lemon zest to the dough. So do I like soaking the fruits in rum or brandy. Both are perhaps not traditional, but do add a lot to the flavor. Making kulichi does take some time just because yeast dough needs to rise a couple of times before you bake it. But there is nothing really complicated about the process.

Kulichi (Russian Easter cakes)

makes 4 cakes (around 400 g each)

Kulichi dough:
400 g all purpose flour
125 ml of milk
180 g sugar
10 g (1 packet) of rapid rise yeast
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
250 g butter, softened
180 g mixed fruit (some combination of raisins, sultanas, candied cherries, currants, apricots, pineapple and citrus peel)
50 ml rum or brandy

Icing:
200 g icing sugar
juice of 1 - 2 lemons

Soak the fruit in rum or brandy and set aside.

Heat the milk till it's a little warmer then your finger.

Mix half of the milk with yeast and a teaspoon of sugar, cover and leave for 15 minutes. The yeast should start bubbling. Do not skip this step even if your yeast package instructions say you should mix the yeast straight into the flour. As the dough is very rich the yeast needs a little help to activate here.

Combine the rest of the milk with all the remaining sugar, egg yolks, salt, lemon zest and vanilla and stir till most of the sugar dissolves.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Add the milk mixture and the yeast mixture. By hand or using a dough hook stir everything together until you get even dough.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or for 5 minutes with a dough hook of electric mixer. Do not skip this step. It is needed to make sure kulichi do not go stale too early.

Cover the dough and let it stand in a warm place till it doubles in size. It should take 30 - 45 minutes. If it's not very warm at your home, use your oven heated to 30C.

Once the dough has risen, add the fruits together with rum or brandy and softened butter. Mix all together. It's much better to use a dough hook of electric mixer here, doing it by hand really takes a lot of effort.

Pans we use for baking kulichi are mug-shaped (tall, cylindrical, approximately 400 ml in volume) - the recipe is enough for four of these. If you can't get them, just use two 9 inch loaf pans lined with baking paper. Or use a muffin pan (small kulichi are very cute too), lined with paper muffin cups.

Fill your pans with dough to 1/3 of their height (not more, the dough will rise a lot). Cover with a towel or cling film and let stand in a warm place till the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Once the dough has risen, place kulichi in the oven. If your shapes are around 400 ml each, baking will take around 50 minutes. For a loaf pan it can take longer. For muffin cups it will take around 30 minutes. In any case it is safer to cover the kulichi with foil or baking paper 20 minutes after you start baking to prevent them from burning on the top.

Kulichi are ready when they are dark brown on top and a wooden stick inserted deep in the middle of the cake comes out clean and dry. Take them out of the oven and let cool down in their shapes on a rack.

Once kulichi are cool, take them out of their shapes and decorate them. To make the icing, place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Add enough lemon juice to get thick and creamy paste. Spoon the paste on the kulichi to cover the top. Let the icing set for 15 - 20 minutes.

Serve the kulichi with tea. Pascha cheesecake or plain cream cheese are wonderful complements to them.

Related:
Pascha (Russian Easter cheesecake)
Schneken (German sticky cinnamon buns)
Kovrizhka, grandma's spice cake (vegan version)
Christmas Black cake (Rum cake)

Pascha (Russian Easter cheesecake)

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:36:21 GMT

This coming Sunday everybody in Moscow is going to celebrate Easter. I was never religious, but Easter for me is a good old family tradition. And above all it's about food. I do not go into egg decorating affair, which is popular around here, but I have to have kulichi and pascha. Kulichi are special yeast fruit cakes and pascha is a kind of dense cold cheesecake. Together they produce a wonderful festive breakfast. Pascha tastes very fresh and complements the warm soft cake as a delicious spread. I do not bake my own kulichi every year, but pascha I always make myself. I do think it deserves to be made more often than once a year. It only takes half an hour but tastes really special.

Pascha's main component is cottage cheese or curd cheese mixed with lots of dry fruits. Using cottage cheese is traditional for Russia, so it appears in many dishes e.g. syrniki, cookies, Russian style gnocchi and vareniki. If you have trouble finding it though, just use ricotta cheese instead. You can serve it on its own, or with a cake of your choice. If you feel like making a cake yourself, go for this easy and rewarding kovrizhka or for the proper kulichi. They are definitely more demanding, but have a lot of charm. The recipe for them will shortly follow.

Most of the time pascha is enriched with butter, however I prefer using cream cheese. I also love adding vanilla, though many people perhaps would say it is not traditional. If you feel like adding some coarsely chopped nuts (e.g. almonds, pistachios) do so, however I prefer skipping this part.

Making it is quite straightforward. Like with all cold cheesecakes you do some mixing and then leave it to set. However in pasha we do not normally use gelatin. It sets thanks to the addition of egg yolks and cream cheese or butter. We wrap the cheese mix in cloth leave it under press overnight. The resulting cheesecake is very pliable and easily takes different shapes. Traditionally we shape it either a pyramid (using special shapes) or as a semi-sphere (using ordinary bowls).

Pascha (Russian Easter cheesecake)

serves 6 - 8

2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
150 g icing sugar
200 g cream cheese (Mascarpone or Philadelphia)
300 g cottage cheese or curd cheese (around 9% fat content)
150 g sour cream or creme fraiche
350 g mixed fruit (some combination of raisins, sultanas, candied cherries, currants, apricots, pineapple and citrus peel)

Combine the yolks with vanilla and icing sugar in a bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water). Beat with electric mixer till you get a thick pale cream. Take the bowl off the water bath and keep beating till it cools a little bit.

Add the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Beat till combined. Mix in the fruit.

Now you will need to use cheesecloth (or other clean cotton cloth) sized approximately as a kitchen towel. Place a colander on top of a bowl. Cover the colander with your cloth and scrape the cheese mixture into the colander (on top of the cloth).

Close the cloth on top of the cheese tightly. Cover the cloth with a plate which fits into the colander and set something heavy on top of the plate (e.g. a liter pack of milk or juice). Leave to set in the fridge overnight.

Before serving, you can shape pascha. Choose a nicely spherical bowl and cover it with cling film. Unwrap the pascha, spoon it into the bowl and press it down and make it even. Cover the bowl with a plate and invert the pascha onto the plate. Peel the cling film off and decorate with more dry fruits (entirely optional). Serve chilled along with a cake of your choice or with kulich.

Related:
Russian syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes)
Kovrizhka, grandma's spice cake (vegan version)
Cottage cheese and apricot cookie rolls
Lazy vareniki (cottage cheese dumplings)
Vareniki (Ukrainian dumpling) with cottage cheese

Moscow cafes and bakeries guide
Kiev food: a personal guide

Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:47:12 GMT

Cherries are the first fruit to arrive in the summer here in Northern California, and when the trees are laden with them, you have to pick and eat as many as you can, before the worms and birds get to the rest. Friends with cherry trees are good friends indeed, especially when they arrive with baskets filled to the brim. Mostly this is an opportunity to gorge, and engage in pit spitting contests. (I’m still mad that they’ve cross-bred the seeds out of watermelons, depriving me and thousands of kids of the summer rite of seed spitting, but am happy to engage with cherry pits.) But if you want get all grown up on us, you can do other things with fresh cherries—clafouti, cherry fro yo, and sweet cherry pie—or make a simple cherry salsa to accompany pork chops or pork tenderloin.

Now a note about salsa. Just because many of us are used to salsa served with tacos doesn’t mean that salsas are inherently spicy. Salsa is just the Spanish word for sauce. In Mexico that usually means the addition of a spicy element such as dried red chiles or chopped fresh jalapeños. Salsa can also be Spanish or Italian inspired, without chiles, which is what we’ve chosen to do here. I actually tried without success to make a spicy cherry salsa; any chile heat ended up detracting from the sweet flavor of the cherries. We finally settled on this simple version with red onions, a little lemon juice, and some balsamic and a touch of sugar to intensify the flavor of the cherries. Lovely served with grilled pork chops.

Any other ideas out there for savory spins on fresh cherries? Please let us know in the comments.

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