made by melis

strawberry cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:25:00 +0000

I've been on the hunt for the perfect, from-scratch strawberry cupcake that resembles the strawberry cake from Wynlakes Country Club. But its been hard and they don't look like anything like it. So I decided to try out Paula Deen's Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake recipe, which uses cake mix and instant jello mix. I have never in my life made a cake with instant jello mix in it. There is always a first. All in all, the cake turned out delicious and it was exactly like the one served at our country club. Next time I'll use this recipe but probably make the batter from scratch rather than using a mix.

simply delicious strawberry cupcakes
adapted from paula deen's recipe

ingredients:

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1-ounce frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared cupcake pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.

vanilla butter cookies

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

After some snickerdoodles and orange spritz, I wanted something plain and simple. These buttery vanilla cookies are exactly what I was looking for. These are best right out of the oven, I think I ate a dozen of them.

vanilla-butter cookies (leguas de gato)
adapted from apple pie, patis & pate

ingredients:

8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites from large eggs

directions:

preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
mix together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth in an electric mixer.
gently fold in half of the flour. Then slowly mix in the egg whites followed by the rest of the flour. Continue mixing until thoroughly incorporated.
put the cookie dough in a pastry bag fitted with a round pasty tip (about 1/4" inch opening). Pipe the dough onto cookie sheets in 1-1/2 inch lengths. Space the piped dough at least 1-1/2 inches apart to allow for spread.
bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown.

snickerdoodles

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Who doesn't love some cinnamon goodness around this time of the year? Between the apple cider and gingerbread cookies, cinnamon has a place in all our hearts for the holidays. Martha Stewart's snickerdoodles are light and soft, you can't resist having only one.

snickerdoodles
Adapted from Martha Stewart

ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 stick or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs

directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. At this point, chilled the dough for an hour before scooping it, because it is a bit difficult to scoop into balls and roll.
Once dough has chilled, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Scoop up tablespoons of dough to form balls, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack.

orange spritz cookies

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:45:00 +0000

What a crazy past couple of months! I've been neglecting my poor little blog due to life. And life I mean: graduate school, family, friends, holidays, and most exciting of all expecting a little one. Yes! We will go from two to three May next year! Now, that I am well into my second trimester and feeling much better, along with my winter break from school, I can once again focus on creating yummy goodies in the kitchen. With a week until Christmas, I scrambled together some buttery cookies to send out to friends. The first are these lovely orange spritz!

orange spritz cookies
ingredients:

110 grams butter, room temperature
90 grams sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp orange extract
zest of 1/2 an orange
180 grams flour
2 grams salt

directions:

Cream the butter, sugar, orange zest and orange extract together until well combined. Add the yolks and mix until combined. Add the flour and salt and mix.
Place the soft dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe 1-1/2 inches onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350F for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Let them cool completely.

thomas keller's chocolate chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Chef Keller is really amazing. He really is! He can even make a chocolate chip cookie better than what you knew a chocolate cookie can be. If you don't believe me, you'll have to make a batch of these cookies yourself. The key to this cookie is using high quality chocolate and chopping the chocolate into shavings. It gives the cookie a cleaner look, as well as evenly distributes the yummy bursts of chocolate goodness.

milk chocolate chip butterscotch cookies
adapted from thomas keller's ad hoc home

ingredients

2-1/3 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 oz Callebaut milk chocolate
2 oz butterscotch chips
1/2 lb (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, but into small pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar (TK recommends molasses sugar but I just used regular light brown sugar)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt.
Shave and chop chocolate and butterscotch chips.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in chocolate and butterscotch.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the dough with a spatula to be sure that the chocolate is evenly incorporated.
Using about 2 level tablespoons per cookie, shape the dough into balls. Arrange 8 cookies on each pan, leaving about 2 inches between them, because the dough will spread.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are no longer shiny, switching the position and rotating the pans halfway through baking.
Cool the cookies on the pans on cooling racks for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to the racks to cool completely.

baked kale chips

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:21:00 +0000

Last year I saw some blogs all posting baked kale chips and I was intrigued. It's been on my list of things to make since then. But kale is not exactly one of the usual things on my grocery list and I don't purposely go out to buy. Luckily for me, my CSA from Hampstead Farms had kale in it this week (including a slew of vegetables I don't usually eat). So when I was presented with this opportunity, I dug up those recipes and whipped up some yummy, crisp kale chips!

Baked Kale Chips
adapted from smitten kitchen

ingredients

1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

directions

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt.
Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

sweet potato biscuits with fig preserves

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:06:00 +0000

It's fall!! And that means sweet potatoes galore from Hampstead Farms. I'm starting to run out of ideas to use sweet potatoes. I even went as far as putting them into light, flaky biscuits. If you love biscuits, which is my latest obsession (if you have noticed from here, here, and here), you must try these!

sweet potato biscuits
ingredients

1 large sweet potato
¼ cup cold half and half
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for patting out dough and cutting biscuits
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch of paprika
Salt and black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into roughly ½-inch cubes

directions

Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (roughly 18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper or a nonstick (silicone) liner, and set aside. Prick the sweet potato in several spots with a fork, place it on a small baking sheet, and bake until fully tender, about 1¼ hours. Cut the potato open, peel back the skin (to release steam), cool it to room temperature (about 40 minutes), peel off the skin, and roughly mash the flesh (you should have about 1½ cups). Add the half-and-half, mix very well, and set aside.
In a food processor, process 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper until well blended (making sure the brown sugar is thoroughly broken down and incorporated). Scatter the butter pieces evenly over the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 6 2-second pulses. Add the sweet potato mixture in dollops in several spots over the flour and butter mixture, and pulse until the flour and sweet potato mixtures combine and just begin to come together into a light-orange dough mass, 10 to 15 2-second pulses.
If you turned off the oven earlier, reheat it to 425 degrees. Generously flour a clean work surface, turn out the dough, and sprinkle flour over the top of the dough. Knead the dough gently, folding it in half and rotating it 3 or 4 times, just until it is uniform and cohesive (try to keep the kneading to a minimum). Sprinkle a little bit more flour on the work surface and dough to prevent sticking, if necessary, and gently pat the dough into a circle that is roughly 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch high (the height is more important than the shape or diameter, which may vary).
Dip a sharp 2½-inch biscuit cutter into flour and using brisk, decisive, straight-down punches (avoid rotating or twisting the cutter in the dough), cut out rounds of dough as close to one another as possible (to maximize the number of rounds), dipping the cutter into flour before each new cut. Transfer the dough rounds to the lined baking sheet, positioning them about 1 inch apart. Push the dough scraps together and knead them gently once or twice until cohesive. Pat out the dough until it is 1 inch high, dip the cutter into flour, and in the same manner as before, cut out as many dough rounds as possible, and transfer them to the baking sheet with the first batch.
Bake until the biscuits are puffed, light golden on top, and deep brown on the bottom, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking time for even cooking. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack, cool for about 15 minutes, and serve warm.

muscadine pepper jelly

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

This week, I have more creations from my Hampstead Farm's CSA goodies. With a dozen or so jalapeno peppers and two pints of muscadine grapes, I really didn't know what else to do with them other than make jelly.

muscadine pepper jelly
ingredients

2 pints muscadine grapes
12 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 package of pectin
3 drops of green food coloring
canning jars with lids

directions

Cook the muscadine grapes in a medium saucepan and crush as it starts to soften. Heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain the grapes through a sieve to separate the pulp and seeds from juice. Set the juice aside to cool.
Process bell pepper and hot peppers in a food processor until finely minced. Combine pepper mixture, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add juice, pectin and food coloring. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

beef liver pâté

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:17:00 +0000

Other than participating in the Hampstead Farm's CSA, we also signed up for a meat share through Randle Farms this fall. For our first pick up, we got some nice, tasty steaks, ground beef, and liver. Cooking with liver was a first for me. Since we had so much of it, I decided to make a pate.

beef liver pâté
ingredients

8 tbsp (1 stick) butter
1 lb beef liver, cut up into pieces
1 small onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup white wine
juice from one lime
salt and pepper
saltine crackers
fresh parsley for garnish

directions

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of butter and saute liver, onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside and the wine is evaporated. Add lime juice. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Transfer the liver, onions and garlic to a food processor; process until coarsely pureed. With the machine on, add the rest of the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth. Scrape the pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pâté and refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled over saltine crackers garnished with parsley.

hot & sour soup

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Growing up in a Chinese household, surprisingly I've never had hot and sour soup. It's only recently after moving to Alabama that I had my first taste of it. But the only hot and sour soup here are only available at take out joints. boo to that. So I decided to make some homemade soup. Yum!
hot & sour soup
adapted from tyler florence's recipe

ingredients

1 ounce dried wood ears or Chinese fungi
2 tbsp canola oil
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp red chile paste
1/2 cup canned bamboo
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
pinch sugar
2 quarts Chinese Chicken stock
3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

directions

Put the wood ears in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Drain and rinse the wood ears; discard any hard clusters in the centers.
Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high flame. Add the ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and pork; cook and stir for 1 minute to infuse the flavor. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, pour it into the wok and toss everything together - it should smell really fragrant. Pour in the Chinese Chicken Stock, bring the soup to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir until smooth. Mix the slurry into the soup and continue to simmer until the soup thickens. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in 1 direction to get a current going, then stop stirring. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a steady stream and watch it spin around and feather in the broth (it should be cooked almost immediately.)

chinese chicken stock
ingredients

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
1 bunch green onions, halved
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife
1 onion, halved
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
About 3 quarts cold water

directions

Put the chicken in a large stockpot and place over medium heat. Toss in the green onions, garlic, ginger, onion, and peppercorns. Pour about 3 quarts of cold water into the pot to cover the chicken by 1-inch. Simmer gently for 1 hour, uncovered, skimming off the foam on the surface periodically.
Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and pass the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove the solids and excess fat. Cool the chicken stock to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator, or chill it down over ice first.

purple basil pesto

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:33:00 +0000

Yay! Our Fall CSA from Hampstead Farms started a couple of weeks ago and I am having a ball cooking with all the fresh vegetables. Purple basil was something I've never used before. It made the kitchen smell so fresh. Since herbs don't last very long, I used it right away to make some pesto. Since I didn't have all the standard ingredients you usually make pesto with, I played it by ear. And this is what I ended up with-- purple basil pesto macadamia nut pesto!
purple basil pesto macadamia nut pesto
ingredients

2 cups of basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup macadamia nut
1 whole elephant garlic head
salt and pepper, to taste

directions

combine the basil in with the nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

carrot pound cake

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Here's a recipe that will curb any sweet craving without feeling completely guilty since you're getting some fiber and beta-carotene.

carrot pound cake
ingredients

1 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded carrots
1-½ teaspoon vanilla

directions

Pre-heat oven to 325°F
Let butter, eggs, and sour cream stand at room temperature for 30 mins. Grease and lightly flour one Bundt cake pan. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle beat butter on high speed for one minute. Reduce speed to medium, add in sugar ½ cup at a time and beat for 10 minutes until light and fluffy – don’t skimp on the time! Reduce speed to low. Add shredded carrots ½ cup at a time and egg, beating until well incorporated. Scrap the side of mixing bowl frequently. Keeping the speed on low, alternate, adding the flour mixture and sour cream to bowl. Mix until just combined and smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 70 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove and cool completely.

toasted carrot banana bread

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:00:00 +0000

I know.... NOT another banana bread recipe? Yup. I just LOVE homemade banana bread. This time I threw in some carrots for fun (and fiber).

carrot banana bread
ingredients

2 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 very ripe bananas)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and soda. Mix in carrots until just combined (do not over mix). Pour batter into two greased 9 x 5 inch pans.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Slice into 1 inch pieces. Heat on a griddle until toasted.

cold sesame noodles

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Oh my! It's been so busy now that school has started, I barely have time to make anything. Ha! I've reverted back to my college days of throwing random things I like together and making a meal out of it. Here is an overdue post of the sesame noodles I made for the potluck dinner hosted by one of the Chinese students. I wanted to make something "familiar" for my new foreign friends.

cold sesame noodles
recipe from appetite for china

ingredients:

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as an appetizer
12 ounces dried Chinese noodles
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

sauce ingredients:

3 tablespoons tahini with an extra teaspoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoons sugar

directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook egg noodles or spaghetti until al dente, or the minimum amount of time according to package instructions. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and set aside.
Heat the other tablespoon of peanut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Gently cook the minced garlic and grated ginger until just fragrant, about 30 to 40 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili paste, sugar, and optional Sichuan pepper. Add 3 tablespoons of water and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the cooked garlic and ginger.
Pour the sauce over the noodles, add the cucumbers and carrots, and toss. Transfer to large bowl or deep serving dish and sprinkle the sesame seeds and scallions on top. You can serve the sesame noodles at room temperature or chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Notes: Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.

pinup board

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:31:00 +0000

This pin board project has been on my mind for a long, long time.

I've always loved having pin boards around my workspace, I guess that's what 5 years of architecture school does to you. My professors have ingrained in me to pin up my ideas, works and inspirations to continuously feed our creavity. But there are some not-too-attractive pin boards out there and the closest one that I would want in my home is a bit out of my price range. I blogged about it here. So finally, one weekend, with little to do, my husband and I wandered into Hobby Lobby and got everything I need: 1) 2 pieces of 24" x 36" x 3/16" thick foam board 2) canvas - enough to cover the 48" x 60" 3) 24" x 36" open back wooden frame. And here is the final product: wooden framed canvas pin board.

All in all, we spent about $35 for the project, which I am very happy with.

bitter double chocolate chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:00:00 +0000

After a friend posted a craving on fb about these babycakes cookies, I soon had one too. It's like a contagious yawn. I used bitter chocolate chips rather than semisweet, so I would classify these as adult cookies. They are nothing like the old fashioned kinds kids would fight over. But personally, I love the bitter-goodness of these gluten-free lovelies.

bitter double chocolate chip cookies

adapted from babycakes

ingredients

1 cup coconut oil
1-1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup flax meal
2-1/2 cups gluten free baking mix
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 xanthan gum
1 cup bitter chocolate chips

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, evaporated cane juice, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine until dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the trays 180 degrees after 7 minutes. The cookies will be crispy on the edges and soft in the center.
Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

cowboy rib-eye sliders

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:40:00 +0000

After making vegetarian curries all week, I wanted to treat my hubby with some manly food. With the heat of the summer, all I can think about are burgers. With some awesome hormone-free, antibiotic-free rib-eye steaks I had on hand, I whipped up some yummy sliders for dinner last night. For someone who rarely eats beef, I wouldn't mind having these again soon.

Most people will be surprised by the fact that I have a meat grinder. Yes! I have one! I am an appliance whore, it's pretty bad. Juicer, panini press, slower cooker are just a few. Since the meat cranker was taking up some valuable real estate in my kitchen cabinets, I wanted to use it more than just once. The first and only time I've ever used it was for lasagna verdi al forno, where I had to grind my own combination of meats for the ragu.

I served the sliders onto some toasted dinner rolls with tomatoes, smoked gouda, and caramelized onions. Drool...

cowboy rib-eye sliders
ingredients

6 dinner rolls or mini hamburger buns
1 tbsp butter
2 red onions, sliced thinly
1 small tomato, sliced
1 oz smoked gouda, sliced
1 lb rib-eye steak, cubed (or 1 lb. ground beef)
1/2 cup carrot, pulp from juicer (you may process in food processor until finely shredded)
1 large egg
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

directions
1. to make the caramelized onions, saute onions on low heat with butter for 30 minutes or until liquid is all sweated out. add salt to taste and set aside.

2. grind cubed rib-eye and mix with egg, carrots, garlic powder, salt and pepper. combine thoroughly. then form meat mixture into 6 round balls

3. heat some oil in saute pan and place meatballs in and flatten with spatula. cook until preferred doneness.
4. toast buns on grill pan or in oven or not, whatever you like. assemble burgers with tomatoes, gouda, and caramelized onions.

bacon pecan chocolate chip cookie

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Bacon is NOT just for breakfast anymore!

This post was inspired by my dear friend, Christina. I recently took a mini vacation with my old college roomie to Tampa and she was telling me about her latest sweet-tooth discovery. Her co-worker's wife bakes these amazing savory sweet snacks for the office. Anyways, that got me intrigued and wanted to try them out myself. Although I rarely eat bacon, I mean once in a blue moon rare, I had to try these. Sweet, savory, nutty, chocolatey, crunchy, chewy. Gosh! It's like any pregnant woman's dream come true.

bacon pecan chocolate chip cookies
adapted from npr

ingredients

5 strips bacon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until just blended. Add the dry ingredients; beat until just incorporated and the flour is dissolved. Stir in the chocolate chips, pecans and bacon.
Drop one large tablespoon cookie dough 2 to 3 inches apart (as they will spread) on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until firm and golden brown around the edges, and still slightly soft in the center. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.

banana coffee cake

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:45:00 +0000

If you haven't noticed I have a ton of banana recipes on my blog. That's because I buy a lot of bananas but I don't eat them fast enough. So here's something I haven't made with bananas before... coffee cake!

banana coffee cake
adapted from real simple

ingredients

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup half and half
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

{tried & true} sprinkles cupcake mix

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:20:00 +0000

I wanted to see what all the hype is about with Sprinkles cupcakes. But the closest place we can get one is at William Sonoma with their cupcake mix, so I gave it a try. The package comes with a bag of cupcake mix and a dozen signature dots. The frosting recipe is included. Overall, I thought the cake was a bit dry, yet light and delicate. The finished product with the decorative dot is very cute.

happy anniversary cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:56:00 +0000

This past weekend was my in-laws' 31st wedding anniversary. The whole family celebrated in Atlanta at Top Chef contestant, Kevin Gillespie's restaurant called Woodfire Grill. Our meal was excellent but the last course, dessert, was so-so. Good thing I came prepared and had baked a cheesecake for the occasion. My mother-in-law's favorite cake is cheesecake, hence all the cheesecake recipes I have on my blog.

anniversary cheesecake
ingredients

1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup ginger snaps
1/2 cup vanilla wafers
3 tbsp butter, melted
(3) 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup half and half
(1) 6 oz cup plain fat free yogurt

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Process ginger snaps, pecans, and vanilla wafers in a food processor until the mixture is in fine crumbs. Mix crumbs with butter. Press mixture into a 9-inch springfoam pan to create crust.
Place an 8 ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the remaining 2 packages of cream cheese.
Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1-1/4 cups of sugar, then beat in the vanilla and lemon extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream and half-and-half. At this point, mix the filling only until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the prepared crust. Place the spring-form pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the spring-form pan. Slide the cake off of the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

coconut almond marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:46:00 +0000

I've always had this secret obsession with homemade marshmallows. I think this obsession started the first time I had New York's City Bakery's hot chocolate topped with a big fluffy marshmallow. Although homemade marshmallows seems rather easy to make, I still fear it. I fear making candy in general, probably because I've come very close to burning down my kitchen one too many times. Finally, I just bit the bullet and created these beautiful, fluffy clouds of sugar.

homemade coconut marshmallows
adapted from smitten kitchen

ingredients

About 1 cup toasted shredded coconut
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon almond extract

directions

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan.
In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)
In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and almond extract into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded coconut evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.
Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sprinkle remaining coconut back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

chocolate bouchon

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Lately, a few people have been helping me out with things going on in my life. To give thanks, I wanted to give them a little sweet thank you note. These little chocolate bouchons are the perfect way to say thanks. They were easy and quick to make with the william-sonoma silicon mold.

chocolate bouchon
ingredients

5 tbsp unsalted butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar for serving

directions

preheat an oven to 350 degree F. grease bouchon silicon baking mold with shortening, set on baking sheet.
put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted, about 1-1/2 minutes, stirring once. alternatively, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. let cool for 10 minutes.
in a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until combined. set aside.
in another bowl, whisk together the sugar, whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined. add the chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated. whisk in the flour mixture until combined.
scoop 2 tbsp of batter into each well of the mold. transfer the mold, still on the baking sheet, to the oven and bake until the tops of the chocolate corks are shiny and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.
transfer the mold to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. carefully invert the mold to remove the chocolate corks and turn them right-side up on the rack. let cool on the rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. dust with confectioners' sugar. serve warm or at room temperature. makes 12 chocolate bouchons.

refreshing basil lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:16:00 +0000

What do I do when life gives me lemons? I make lemonade. Actually, basil lemonade to be exact.

basil lemonade
ingredients

4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs (top 4 inches; from a 1/2-pound bunch)
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
9 (4- by 1-inch) strips lemon zest
2 cups cold water
2 cups ice cubes
1-1/4 fresh lemon juice

directions

Bring basil, 4 cups of water, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Strain syrup thorough a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.
Stir together the syrup and the rest of the ingredients in a large pitcher, then pour into tall glasses half filled with ice.

let's all scream for ice cream

noreply@blogger.com (melissa) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:08:00 +0000

With this cross-country heat wave, we need some homemade ice cream to cool us down. These scoops are not your ordinary chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Last week, we got a ton of melons and basil from our CSA, so I combined the two together with some eggs and cream and came out with the most refreshing treat ever. The other concoction is not quite an ice cream but an ice milk. What is ice milk? Pretty simple, instead of the cream, I used milk for a lighter version of my favorite summer indulgence.

cantaloupe basil ice cream
ingredients

1 cup pureed cantaloupe
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
handful of fresh basil leaves

directions

combine the sugar and milk in a heavy medium saucepan. place over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the milk comes to a boil.
gradually beat the hot milk into the egg yolks in a bowl. pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. add fresh basil leaves. stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble.
remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl.
allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in cantaloupe puree, cream, and vanilla. cover and refrigerate until cold.
stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 back in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.when finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. for firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

roasted banana ice milk
ingredients

2 large bananas
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until soft and beginning to give off some liquid. Let cool. Remove the skins from the bananas and puree them in a food processor.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt. Combine the milk and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly pour the milk into the eggs, whisking as you pour. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175 degrees F and lightly coats the spatula.
Strain the custard into a clean bowl and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Stir the banana puree into the custard and let rest in your fridge for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until scoop-able, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.