Kitchen Cartel turned 2 this past week.  2!!! Wrapping my brain around the fact that so much time has passed is really surreal. When I posted for the first time I had just started working in the kitchen at a restaurant, was still living at home, and needed this blog to keep my motivated, inspired and creative. Today, I have changed jobs twice, moved twice and now live just outside of Boston and really can’t complain.

If there is one thing I learned these past two years it’s that the important things…don’t change. Lucky to have those who supported me day 1 with this little venture are still there cheering me on and enjoying my food. Life get’s busy and I try to keep up, but those patient few that still read and are entertained by what I have to say are the loves of my life.

One day soon I’ll redesign, update, and change it up a little. It’s time.

Now…onto waffles.

As I’ve ventured into my mid-twenties, I have changed in so many different ways. My style, my jobs, my friends, but the only change I can focus on now is that I’m wide awake at 7:30 on a Sunday morning.

Somewhere in the past 2 years or so I’ve become a full blown “morning person”. I get up for the gym on a Saturday at 8am (this apparently still doesn’t beat the rush of other morning exerciser’s) and get my morning coffee, watch some TV and make breakfast. *Note this “early bird” pattern also occurs because I have become a senior citizen and go to bed around 10PM (at the latest) most days. Get the pun?

Frankly, it wouldn’t matter if I was up at 7AM or 10AM, I can’t not have breakfast. I wake up pretty hungry these days but when I actually manage my “hangry” behavior and cook a nice big breakfast, I’m always happy.

Holiday morning breakfast has more so become one of my responsibilities back home. D goes out and gets the good bagels, my mom whisks the eggs and I make home fries.  Don’t be mistaken, these look easy, but they take patience. Cooking potatoes from their raw state to full cooked to get the right texture takes heat monitoring and a lot of “checking”. Mostly, I just let the pan be for about 5min, do a quick toss of the pan and then drink another mimosa. Yep, Easter breakfast was lovely this year…

Simple Potato/Corn Home Fries

• 2Tbsp oil, preferably a high heat cooking oil like Vegetable Oil
• 5-6 medium sized potatoes (I like russets), diced into about half inch cubes.
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 bell pepper, chopped (I used red and yellow)
• ¾ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Heat a wide non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. Add oil. Add in the chopped onions and peppers (season with S+P) and sauté for about 8minutes until slightly softened (watch your flame at this point, you don’t want the onions and peppers to burn so depending on how high your heat is, feel free to lower a bit if you think they are going too far). Add in the potatoes and stir to combine (season with S+P). Lower the heat to medium and check on them about every 3-5min, stirring when you check. Continue this for about 20minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked and have a nice golden outside. Add in the frozen or fresh corn and sauté only until heated through. Turn off the heat and stir in your parsley and serve!

Everyone one should have a go-to dessert recipe. Nothing too difficult, impressive looking and delicious. As you can see, this recipe is mine. I found this recipe on TasteSpotting as photographed by a professional food photographer Rikki Snyder.

Sometimes I doubt recipes by food photographers because it’s their job to make something look irresistible. Sometime that means making something that tastes kind of lackluster and “prettying it up” for a picture.

I decided to take a chance and give this one a shot. I made it for Father’s Day last year and it was a huge hit! I decided that since warm weather is slowly but surely approaching, it would make a great Easter cake. I make it at Jill’s house (my favorite place to cook) and we nearly ate the entire cake right out of the oven. Seriously, this cake is no joke.

We named it the “much too good to share” lemon raspberry coffee cake.

If you make this, use fresh raspberries. All I had was frozen and it made a difference for me, visually. Frozen berries melt and “bleed” into the cake a bit more. All that really doesn’t matter once you sprinkle a substantial amount of powdered sugar on top, but still….use fresh if you can!

Lemon Raspberry Coffee Cake

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¾ buttermilk
• 3oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Light grease and flour the bottom of a 9×1 ½ inch round cake pan. For Cake, in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder,  baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl beat 1 cup of the sugar and the butter with a mixer on medium to high until combined. Add 1 egg and the vanilla. Beat on low to medium for 1 minute. Alternatively add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, beating until just combined after each addition; set aside. For cheesecake filling, in a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar on medium to high until combined. Add lemon zest and remaining egg; beat until combined.

Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared pan, spreading to the edges. Pour the cheesecake filling over the batter, spreading to the edges. Dollop remaining batter on filling, carefully spreading to the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed. Gently press raspberries into cake. Bake 25-30 more minutes more until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake from the pan; remove from pan. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Sundays this time of year are for many things:

The Sunday Morning Show on CBS, brunch, endless TV watching and cooking (usually in that exact order).

As I sit here today, hypnotized by the teasing sunshine I am longing for when Sunday Fundays consist of sleeping in, brunch, endless drinking and going out to dinners (definitely in that order).

Brunch stays consistent.

Until about 2 years ago Sundays were all about dinner. Every week my “family” would get together and eat a meal together. Well, half us of would sit on the couch in the TV room…near the food; while others would sit in the living room at the actual table. Where do you think I sat? ;]

I always loved these dinners because they usually involved something roasted, mashed potatoes and gravy. It takes a lot of effort to put together a dinner like that for myself and my sister because frankly, there would be a ton of leftovers. But sometimes when I’m in the mood, I’ll roast a chicken, use it for a million different things and realize that I should do it much more often.  Not only does it make my apartment feel homey, it tastes pretty good too.

If you haven’t ever roasted a whole chicken before, you really should give this a shot. It’s a great/easy way to impress guests and is pretty inexpensive to execute. Just made a few sides, invite over some friends and have a “spring chicken”!

Herb/Lemon Whole Roasted Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• ½  bunch thyme
• ½  bunch marjoram
• ½ bunch rosemary
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 lemon, zested and halved.
• 5 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Chop herbs and add to softened butter. Stir to incorporate and add lemon zest.  In a large bowl, toss carrots and onion with oil; season with salt and pepper. Scatter vegetables around chicken, pour stock into pan. Rub chicken with your herb butter and stuff cavity with half of the lemon, 1 quarter of the onion and whole herbs, if desired.  Roast until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear when pierced between breast and leg (an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165 degrees), about 1 hour.

Are we being punished for last year’s warm March? Is that what this is all about?

If it is, I get it…last year was a fluke, it was lovely but should not be expected every year – but please can we stop it with the snow?!

I’ll just continue daydreaming about being on a beach a week ago. Which was amazing by the way! I don’t think I’ve felt so relaxed, refreshed, laughed that much, loved that much in a very long time. I’m a total vacation junkie and this one will be hard to top.

Now…onto Whoopie Pies….

Honestly, I didn’t have a clue what a whoopie pie was until I went to college. New Englanders have a pretty unique food culture and things like coffee milk, malt vinegar on French fries and whoopie pies were all foreign to be until 2005. Now, I didn’t even really like whoopie pies all that much when I first tried them. I thought they were bulky and overly sweet and way too heavy on the chocolate. This was until I tasted a truly perfet whoopie pie. In Chatham, Cape Cod there is a little Burrito and Sandwich shop called The Corner Store. This place….well…they know their whoopie pies. Firstly, they are huge! (takes me a solid weekend to finish one myself, even the mini). Secondly, they are super moist, not dry like my early memories. Thirdly, the frosting is perfection. Not too sweet, always creamy and delicious. My personal favorites are the Chocolate/Coconut and the Chocolate/PB.

I think I like the Chocolate/Coconut the best because I’m the only one who likes coconut!

I made these on a chilly winter day, searching for that whoopie pie comfort. They are certainly delicious but no Corner Store whoopie pie. As a recipe note, I would make them a little larger and flatten them out a bit before baking next time, these definitely rise a bit when baking.

Chocolate/PB Whoopie Pies

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies:
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
? cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400? F.  Combine the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk together to blend.  Set aside.  Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until incorporated.  Mix in the dry ingredients, blending just until combined.
2. Using a 1-oz dough scoop, drop the batter onto the prepared baking pans, 12 cookies per pan.  Bake for 12 minutes(because mine were mini, my cooking time was only 6minutes total so adjust times as needed!), rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool on the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. To make the filling, place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated.  Beat in the marshmallow fluff and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs by size.  Fill a pastry bag with your frosting.  Pipe a dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich the cookies together, pushing the filling to the edges.  Store in an airtight container.

To make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

I’ve been pretty obsessed with the approaching time change.  That little bit of extra light makes all the difference in my state of mind. I’m looking forward to spring dresses, spring veggies and spring adventures around Boston.  But before all that, I get to go to Anguilla with my favorite people…yea, life is rough.

Today I bring you a recipe that I feel is the perfect mix of spring freshness and winter comfort. The simple steps in this recipe leave very little excuses for not making it. Did I also mention that it’s insanely flavorful?  Roasting vegetables for soups is always the way to go. Roasting concentrates the flavors and is completely “hands off”.

Make this soup. Make it on a day when it’s just warm enough to eat outdoors and just cold enough to want to be holding a warm cup of soup.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

•  2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 to 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 Tbsp chopped Basil
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Chive

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade (i used an immersion blender), adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they’re all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the basil, chives, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and add desired toppings (Parmesan cheese/bacon/crispy shallots).

I don’t eat Chinese food too often. Not because I don’t like it, because I do…I really really do.

Deep fried, sweet, salty, spicy, gooey, chewy, crunchy, DELICIOUS!  It is truly one of my many food vices. In one of my efforts to eat healthier versions of things I love, I typically rely on Whole Foods to provide me with my Chinese food fix. In recent years, I have consistently gone back to their Sesame Tofu to satisfy my craving. I hoped to re-create this recipe but ended up with something So. Much. Better.

This recipe will convert any tofu hater. It has all the great parts of a general tso’s chicken just a teeny tiny bit healthier. I’m pretty sure it’s as bad as regular Chinese food…but I’d rather convince myself otherwise ;]

Pan Fried Sesame Tofu

• 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1/8 teaspoons red pepper flakes  (I also threw in a tsp of Sambal Olek for some extra  heat)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Canola oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 6 green onions

Wrap tofu with paper towels and place on a cutting board. Put another cutting board or heavy plate on top to press out liquid. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put honey, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, wine, garlic, Sambal Olek and chile flakes into a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer. Keep warm. I found that my sauce was quite thin, so I added a small tsp of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit.

Dry drained tofu with paper towels and cut into cubes. Dust very lightly all over with cornstarch. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry tofu until golden brown, then transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2/3 cup of the warm sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and toss gently. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping, or drizzle over vegetables on the side.

I must confess that on more than one occasion I have eaten peanut butter directly from the jar and called that breakfast…or lunch…or dinner. Somehow I convince myself that this is a wise choice.

During the recent blizzard, food was low and the jar of peanut butter was calling my name. Rather than taking a spoon and eating the entire jar, I decided to find a way to make something to satisfy my craving and occupy my time stuck inside. After perusing my favorite blogs, I stumbled upon Joy the Baker’s layered chocolate and peanut butter pudding. SOLD. Frankly, she can do no wrong in my eyes so I knew this would be a hit.

Pudding is such a great/easy dessert to execute. With very little ingredients and time you can have a decadent dessert that will keep you coming back for more. Also, pudding is great for entertaining, you can make it ahead of time and everything is pre-portioned.

Eat while still warm, with snow falling outside and you’ll complete the picture of a perfect winter day.

It’s also a great reward for yourself after you’ve just spent 2 hours shoveling out your car. (and by shoveling I mean using a gigantic mixing bowl as a “shovel”…don’t ask)

Peanut Butter Pudding

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

I’m no good at being snowed in.

I like a lazy day as much as the next person, but being forced by the weather to stay in my apartment? Not cool.

I have a stack of movies to watch and dishes to do but can’t seem to get started on either. Currently, I’m watching the Food Network. Giada is cooking a menu of Valentine’s Day themed recipes, all including chocolate…ew. Chocolate vinaigrette on a wedge salad?  I have my doubts.

Instead, you should make this Mac and Cheese. You could even make it for your Valentine. Call it something fancy like “Baked Penne with a Cheddar Bechamel” (you see what I did there?) Or just make this because there is almost 3ft of snow on the ground and it’s beyond delicious.

I adapted this recipe from the bloggers over at Lottie and Doof. Add bacon, don’t add bacon…that’s totally up to you. But you MUST toast the panko bread crumbs with butter-it makes this recipe so much better. I made this recipe for about 30 people and it was a huge hit. Served alongside a fresh salad or a light soup, this Mac and Cheese is just too perfect not to post on a snowy day like today.

A proposition: I will make a giant tray of this for anyone who wants to come and dig out my car. Seriously.

Mac + Cheese (Lottie + Doof Style)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 1 cup of finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or less if you would like this with less spice)
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese,  divided
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 ounces Mascarpone or cream cheese
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pound Penne

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Remove all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, allow to melt, and then add the flour and stir for a minute. Gradually whisk in 3 cups of milk; simmer until thick enough to coat a spoon, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 1/4 cups of cheddar and all of the Parmesan cheese and marscapone. Return bacon to sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add panko and stir until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lighly butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish or similarly sized gratin dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until very al dente. Drain well. Toss pasta and cheese sauce and season again with salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake until hot and topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

I’m not going to lie, but I’m impressed with myself today.

It’s shameful, but productivity for me on a Saturday is rare. Typically, I stay in bed until around 10. I mindlessly search the internet and catch up on some of my favorite blogs. No real movement happens until roughly noon (this movement usually means relocating to the couch).

Not today though! Today, I am the poster child for productivity. I am the queen of accomplishments.  I am a rock star of the kitchen.

Too much?  Whatever…nothing can ruin my mood.

I’d like to thank the many contributing factors involved in today’s productive/good mood.

1. Workout World. Sure, you’re not my favorite place sometimes, but on a Saturday morning the amount of available treadmills is amazing.
2. The good people of Dunkin Donuts. You made an iced coffee like a boss today. Good on ya.
3. My many favorite blogs. So much inspiration…too little time.
4. Red Lentils. I have been staring at a bag of these for about 4 months. I buy them, but never decide what to make.

Today I was inspired by some of the ingredients I happened on hand (curry paste, coconut milk, turmeric, chile sauce and ginger) to create what I might call, one of the most delicious/comforting things I’ve made in a while. Kim can vouch for me, these were really really delicious. This recipe also comes together in a flash. Simply cook the lentils (red lentils cook must faster than other varieties), toast your spices, add coconut milk, simmer and enjoy. If you like Indian flavors you will absolutely love this. I know some of the ingredients are not always readily available, but they’re worth purchasing if you want to create a lot of flavorful recipes.

 Red Lentil/Coconut Dal

• 1lb Dried Red Lentils
• 4 cups of water or stock
• 2 Tbsp Oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp Sambal Olek
• 1 ½ Tbsp Tumeric
• 1 ½ Tbsp Curry Power
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Red Curry Paste
• 1 Can of Coconut Milk
• 3 Scallions, chopped (green parts only) for garnish

1. Bring water/stock and lentils to a boil in pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Cover, remove from heat and drain.
2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; sauté 5 minutes. Add Sambal Olek, turmeric, curry powder and mustard seeds; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add red curry powder, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add coconut milk and lentils, and cook 3 minutes more.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice, and top with scallions for garnish