Apple butter

Wow, all I can say is that being pregnant really changed things. Would you believe that now that I have a 3 week old, I get a lot more sleep and have a lot more energy to do the things that I love? Now, I haven't had to do much cooking since friends and family have generously stocked our fridge. However, I'm kind of at a loss of what to do now that I'm on maternity leave for three months. So, I've decided that Christmas is coming early in the form of Santa's workshop! Justin is, umm, thrilled. So thrilled in fact that I have attempted to hide my plans from him, i.e. I disguised the apple butter as applesauce. He has now figured things out. I mean, there is only so much you can do/tv to watch while at home with a newborn.

So, for this week I've decided to make apple butter. It's actually strange to make anything with apples while living in NC, since I can't just hop in the car and visit the local apple mill, like those in mid-Michigan.  (And of course that means cider and donuts too!)

Ingredients

1 peck Mcintosh apples
1 peck Fuji apples
2 tbsp cinnamon (divided)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1-2 cups sugar (I used two cups, which was pretty sweet. Alter based on the apples you use)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

 1 - Make applesauce. Chop and core apples, leaving skins on the apple. Place 1 inch of water in bottom of pot (I needed two pots) and add apples. Bring to boiling and reduce to medium, stirring often until apples are soft. Let apples cool and strain, using the back of a spoon to push applesauce through strainer. (Once you're done you should only have apple skins left in the strainer.) Add 1 tbsp cinnamon.
2 - Make apple butter. Fill your crockpot with the applesauce from step one. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Turn medium or high, depending on your crock pot, and cook down with the lid removed until desired thickness is reached. (I cooked it for ~8 hours and reduced it by about 60%.) Taste the applebutter and add extra sugar if desired. Cook a bit more if adding extra sugar (I gave it another 30 minutes). Blend with immersion blender to ensure smooth texture.
3 - Can apple butter. See my earlier posts for pepper jelly or pickles if you need advice on canning.

Soba noodle salad with sesame ginger soy vinaigrette

Ah, pregnancy. A time of excitement, even though I don't have a lot of energy to be excited. Or cook. (Note the massive drop off in my blog posts.) However, there are some good things about it from the culinary perspective. Justin feels so sorry for me (well, he's sorry, but still hungry!) that he is much more willing to help with meal preparation. Last night he chopped the tomatoes and peaches. It was really cute watching him, as he took 20 minutes to chop five tomatoes. Let me say that those were some well-chopped tomatoes!

Anyways, my new cooking resolution is to spend time on only one dish per meal. (Let's see how well this resolution goes.) For this meal it was a soba noodle salad that I served with grilled chicken. I love sesame seeds and this did not disappoint. Enjoy!

Original recipe here:  http://thelemonbowl.com/2013/07/soba-noodle-salad-with-sesame-ginger-soy-vinaigrette.html (You'll note that I increased the veggies quite a bit.)

Ingredients

8 oz Japanese soba noodles
2 cups green beans (I bought about 2 lbs, but had to toss probably 20%)
3 medium carrots, grated
1 cup scallions, minced
3 tbsp black roasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Sesame ginger soy vinaigrette

2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sriracha or sambal oelek - optional

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil and add soba noodles. Cook according to package instructions adding the green beans 2 minutes before the end of cooking time.
2. Drain noodles and green beans in a strainer and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. (This keeps the beans bright green.)
3. In the bottom of a medium bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette: lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, sesame oil and sambal oelek.
4. Add the soba noodles and green beans to the bowl with the vinaigrette along with the grated carrot, scallions and black roasted sesame seeds. Toss well to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Peanut butter candy bar cookies

Last week I babysat Jennifer's two daughters, aged 11 months and 3.5 years for FOUR days whil eshe and Spence spent the 4th of July weekend on a boat. All I can say is WOW, that was exhausting! Saturday was especially bad, as I was up all night waiting for the 11 month old "high maintenance" baby to cry. All I wanted to do the next day is make it to 2 PM when the whole house could take a nap. So, I decided to bake some cookies to help pass the time and keep me awake. All I can say is that these were awesome! There were a lot of steps that the 3.5 year old could help and you have to stick the batter in the fridge for 1/2 an hour, which gave me time to cater to Ms. High Maintenance.  Highly recommended! (If you look close, you can see my baby bump. Ok, ok, it is kind of hard to miss!)

 Original recipe here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/candy-bar-peanut-butter-cookie-50400000108776/

Ingredients 

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
36 bite-size chocolate-covered caramel-peanut nougat bars

Directions 

1. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until blended.
2. Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl. Add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape about 2 tbsp. dough around each nougat bar, using lightly floured hands, and roll into balls. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased or parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake at 350° for 13 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks.
Note: I used Snickers Minis. A bag contains 36 pieces.

Harvey Wallbanger cake

Only one small piece left. Success!

I cannot believe it has been 1 month since my last post. Unfortunately being pregnant has left me with 0 energy to cook. In fact, I have reverted back to undergrad bad behavior, as I often turn to a bowl of healthy cereal for dinner and maybe a piece of fruit or two. However, my super-employee Anna was leaving for the great (soon to be) white north, so I wanted to bake her a goodbye cake. Of course I turned to my new favorite cake cookbook "Booze Cakes" and found this gem of a recipe, which was super-easy, quick, and cheap (with the exception of the Galliano.) Anna must know she's a super-employee, because I hate going to the liquor store pregnant! Of course I bring my cookbook so the clerk knows the fifth is for a recipe, although when I mentioned this to him he said that pregnant ladies are in there all the time. Does this strike you as a bit weird?
If you make this cake, try to do it the night before. It is even yummier after absorbing the liquid from the frosting, a texture like pineapple upside down cake!

Ingredients

For the Cake: 

1 box yellow cake mix

1 (3.3 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup vanilla vodka (regular vodka works too)

1/4 cup Galliano liqueur

1/4 cup orange juice

For the Glaze 

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon vanilla vodka (regular vodka works too)

1 tablespoon Galliano liqueur

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10 inch bundt pan.

2) Beat cake mix, instant pudding, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla vodka, Galliano and orange juice until smooth. (About 3-4 minutes) Pour into greased bundt cake pan and cook for 45-50 minutes or until the bundt cake turns golden brown.

3) Let rest in cake pan 10 minutes and invert onto wire rack. Drizzle with glaze after cake has cooled.

Texas potato salad

Monday was Memorial Day in the U.S., when we remember the men and women who died serving in the US armed forces. Barbequing with family and friends is one of the big traditions. It was funny, because I stopped at a few stores (this is the U.S., so of course every store is open despite it being a federal holiday) and asked the clerks when they were getting out. All three said hopefully in time for the family barbeque! So, for my family barbeque, I volunteered to make the side dishes and dessert and found this recipe in this month's "Cook's Country." Have I mentioned how much I love this magazine? Almost as much as Justin loved this potato salad!

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 small red onion
2 jalapeno chiles (1 sliced into thin rings, the other stemmed, seeded, and minced)
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
6 tbsp mayonnaise (I used low fat)
6 tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large hard-cooked eggs, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 celery ribs, minced

Directions

1) Combine vinegar, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and mustard seeds in bowl and microwave until steaming, about 2 minutes. Whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add onion and jalapenos and set aside until cool, 15-20 minutes. Strain onion and jalapenos through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl.
2) Meanwhile, combine potatoes, 8 cups water, and 1 tbsp salt in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, 10-15 minutes. (This is a good time to hard boil the eggs if you haven't already.)
3) Drain potatoes thoroughly, then transfer to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tbsp reserved vinegar mixture over hot potatoes and toss gently until evenly coated. (Discard remaining vinegar mixture or keep for another recipe.) Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through chilling.
4) Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 tsp pepper, and cayenne together in bowl until combined. Add mayonnaise mixture, pickled vegetables, eggs, and celery to potatoes and stir gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Palak paneer

Palak paneer is perhaps the first Indian dish I ever tasted. I love creamed spinach, so pivoting to this dish was easy. After failing to find a good recipe for the past 10 years, I (finally!) stumbled across this gem. I've made it twice in the past two months, once for Easter (something for the vegetarians, you know) and again this week when I brought food over to new parents who also happen to be vegetarians. Now, don't let my seemingly one-sided use of this dish and lazy blog behavior dissuade you. It is awesome and easy to make! I might be going out on a limb here, but I even think that Jennifer's husband, who won't sit down at the dinner table unless there is some meaty thing for him to eat, might consider relaxing his dinnertime standards if this was on the menu.
Original recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/palak-paneer-indian-fresh-spinach-with-paneer-cheese-25348?oc=linkback

Ingredients

2 (5 ounce) bags baby spinach
1 large onion
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces paneer cheese, cut into cubes (I substituted queso blanco, since I couldn't find firm paneer)
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half and it tasted great)

Directions

1) Cut spinach into shreds and cook in 3 tablespoons water until tender; remove from heat and reserve water.
2) Saute onion, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 1-2 tablespoons ghee or oil until onion is translucent. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and reduce heat. Cook briefly and slowly blend in yogurt a little at a time to prevent curdling.
3) Add coriander, garam masala, paprika, and salt, mixing well. Add cooked spinach with liquid, cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.
4) Remove from heat. Take half of spinach mixture and puree in food processor or blender,  return to mixture, and stir. Slowly stir in heavy cream, and heat through on low heat. Add paneer cubes and serve.

I promise to add pictures the next time I make this!

Becky's rhubarb crisp

If you're from the Midwest like me, you've grown up on rhubarb. My Mom had some in her garden and I remember a time when I gave a bunch to a friend, but left one lone stalk for her. Man was she mad! However, in NC you're much more likely to find collard greens and okra in your local grocery store. A cousin of mine missed rhubarb so much that my great-grandmother mailed him some rhubarb from her garden. This was in the 1980's and I'm sad to say that things haven't improved a lot in the interim. In fact, a few years ago I contemplated making a rhubarb dessert for some outing since I found some in the local grocery store. I was even more motivated when I learned that Justin had never sampled rhubarb. The horror! The likelihood of him ever tasting it didn't improve much when I described the taste as "a sweet celery." (It's more like sweet and sour celery!) However, he begrudgingly sampled a taste and I swear that most of it was gone the next day.
Anyways, this is a very easy recipe from my mom's friend Becky. If you're lucky to find rhubarb in the grocery store, give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

Ingredients

1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
12 cup melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups cut rhubarb
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1) Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon together and press ~75% of it in a greased 8X8 pan. Top with rhubarb.
2) Cook white sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until thick, stirring often. Pour over rhubarb. Add remaining topping. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.

Fragrant chicken curry

I don't know why I choose Thai/coconut as the theme of my Mother's Day celebration with the in-laws last week, but I'm glad that I did. Justin didn't care what I made as long as  (1) the kitchen wasn't messy afterwards and (2) the menu didn't involve me staying in the kitchen for hours on end. I think he was a bit surprised that I actually found something that met both criteria!

Like most of my cookbooks, "The Cook's Encyclopedia of Thai Cooking" has sat on my shelf for years collecting dust. While I opened it occasionally to gaze at the beautiful pictures, I never got around to making any of the dishes. That was A MISTAKE. One thing I can say about Thai food is that it is delicious, very easy to make, and fast! Even my very picky father-in-law said that he couldn't imagine having a better meal at a restaurant in the area, which made my heart go pitter patter. The hardest thing about this recipe was locating some of the ingredients, although I'm always down for a trip to an international grocery store where I can relax my "Christy style" mode of shopping (i.e. getting in and out as fast as possible) and browse a bit. Anyways, enjoy! Serves four.

Ingredients 

3 tbsp oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (I suggest doing this to taste. I used ~ 2 tbsp)
4 cups coconut milk
2 lemon grass stalks, coarsely chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 cooked chicken
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, toasted coconut, and fresh cilantro to garnish
Boiled rice
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft. Stir in the red curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, then add the lemon grass, lime leaves, yogurt, and apricot jam. Stir well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Transfer the sauce to ta food processor or blender and process to a smooth puree, then strain it back into the rinsed-out pan, pressing as much of the pureed mixture as possible through the sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside while you prepare the chicken. (I simmered the sauce a bit longer with the top off (an additional ~20 minutes) to thicken it up a bit more.
3.  Remove the skin from the chicken, slice the meat off the bones, and cut it into bitesize pieces. Add to the sauce.
4. Bring the sauce back to simmering. Stir in the fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Garnish and serve with rice.

Piña Colada Cake

 It's Mother's Day tomorrow and I am running around trying to get things together for the arrival of my in-laws. When I went to the ABC store (the state-run booze vendor), I told the check out lady that I was buying a fifth of coconut rum for my mother in-law's Mother's Day cake, which *hopefully* will go well with the Thai-themed meal. She suggested that I double (or triple) the alcohol content to help me get through tomorrow, which was  an odd suggestion because (1) I'm obviously pregnant and (2) my in-laws are delightful, non-intrusive people. (Although I did consider upping the alcohol content because there are no teetotalers in our family!)

This recipe came from a really neat cookbook called "Booze Cakes" that I borrowed from Jennifer. It has lots of fun stuff, like cocktail cakes, cake shots (I am bringing these to a party after bebeh is born so I can partake too), classic booze cakes, and homemade booze recipes. If you buy it, make sure to try the Lane Cake. Jennifer made it for Easter and it was amazing.

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup coconut rum
1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut
4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Frosting

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut rum
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Finishing

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained well (I used the back of a spoon to squeeze out more liquid, which was a mistake. Just set in a strainer for 10 minutes.)
1 (10-oz) package sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (I only had 7 oz, which was plenty)
A few maraschino cherries

Directions

1- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans
2 - In a mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, coconut rum, and cream of coconut (for the cake) 3-5 minutes or until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream. Mix in the flour and milk mixtures in three alternating additions.
3 - Pour batter into pans and bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of each pan comes out clean. (I cooked my cakes for 10 extra minutes.) Let cool.
4 - While cakes are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, cream of coconut, vanilla, and coconut rum until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate until cakes are cooled. (If you don't refrigerate, it will be too runny to frost.)
5 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate and top with frosting. Add the crushed pineapple and half the toasted coconut. Place second cake layer on top. Spread the rest of the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

 My poor work colleagues. They don't know how much I use them. Now, I'm just kidding about this, kind of... I often want to make something delicious, but am afraid of the ramifications of having an entire cake, batch of cookies etc. sitting around the house. My fear of sweets is further heightened by a recent visit to the doctor, where I was told that I've gained too much weight so far in my pregnancy. So disheartening! Anyways, work is the perfect antidote. People are always happy to see a sweet treat sitting in the common area. It is even better now that my new office is far away from said common area!

Anyways, I made these strawberry shortcake bars for a work party last week and they were quite the hit. Super easy and quite cute to look at. Face it, you need to go to a work party soon and these bars should be your date! Plus, strawberries are in season and they taste best now!

Original recipe found here: http://divascancook.com/2012/06/strawberry-shortcake-recipe-bars-easy-homemade.html

Ingredients

Butter-vanilla cake

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pint strawberries

Cream layer:

8 oz cream cheese, softened (I was impatient and didn't wait long enough. The results were good, but not as smooth as I would have liked.)

¼ – ½ cup powdered sugar

8 oz frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)

Instructions

  Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, baking powder and salt. Alternate between adding in the flour and milk, beating after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour batter evenly into the dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cake will be flat and light in color. Let cool completely. Set aside.
3. Dice strawberries. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar and frozen whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top of cooled cake.
5. Top with fresh, diced strawberries.
6. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Store in the refrigerator.

Beer can chicken

 Jennifer showed me this recipe five or so years ago and it's been in heavy rotation since that time. Yes, the poor chicken looks a bit abused. However, you'll quickly forget the image of chickie sitting atop a beer can when you taste the result. Oh, and I highly suggest using a gas grill. Last year I made this for the in-laws and my FIL couldn't get the charcoal grill hotter than 200 F. Needless to say, we didn't eat until 10PM. Despite the late night, it was a hit, which says something. Also, it probably wouldn't hurt to buy the chicken a day ahead of time. I bought mine 10 minutes before I was ready to cook and the inside was frozen. Nice move, Harris Teeter! Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
2 Tbsp garlic salt
2 Tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 fluid oz) can beer (retain the can)
1 (+4 lb) whole chicken, insides removed and rinsed

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for low heat
2. In a small skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter. Mix in 1 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Discard 1/2 the beer, leaving the remainder in the can. Add remaining butter, garlic salt, paprika, and desired amount of salt and pepper to beer can. Place can on a disposable baking sheet. Set chicken on can, inserting can into the cavity of the chicken. Baste chicken with the melted, seasoned butter.
4. Place baking sheet with butter and chicken on the prepared grill. Cook over low heat for about 3 hours, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 180 F. Baste occasionally.
Original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/beer-butt-chicken/

Almond joy cookies

 It is cookie of the month time again, i.e. the time when Jennifer, my mom, or I makes cookies for my grandma as a Christmas present. It is the perfect thing for her, as my grandma is in the stage of her life when she'd rather give things away rather than accumulate more stuff during Christmas. But, cookies don't count! Also, today is the first day of my 2nd trimester and I feel great. So great in fact that I totally emptied out my office this weekend to make room for baby. As a reward for parting with many a former treasure (hello, undergrad cd collection, or what was left of it after I left the flip of 100 cds behind at the Detroit airport, not one of my better moments) I downed at least three of these delectable morsels! Oh, and this recipe yields ~ 3 dozen cookies. Original recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/almond-joy-cookies-189752?scaleto=3&mode=null&st=true

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped almonds

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine dry ingredients, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stir in the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well mixed then stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Elote - Mexican corn on the cob

 I've had a lot of new life experiences the past year. We lost my dear grandfather, I got married, and I can now (finally!)  announce that I am pregnant. It has been quite the experience. The hardest thing has been the evening nausea and the never-ending quest for ice cream and pickles. (OK, I thought the latter was an urban myth.) So, no surprise that I've been slacking on my blog, as the last thing I've felt like doing is eating, let alone cooking. Hubby has been a good sport, frequenting whatever local restaurant I'm craving and standing in lines to get exactly what my heart desires. And I'm sure that he's glad the nausea is passing so things can get back to normal!

Tonight I tried my hand at a Mexican style corn on the cob. I've never had this in Mexico, but the local (and seemingly authentic taco truck) made a delicious version, which inspired tonight's post. This was the perfect accompaniment, especially since I still don't have a lot of energy to prepare my typical fancy dinner. So, without further ado...

Ingredients

4 ears of corn, shucked
1/4 cup melted butter (I probably used 2 Tbsp, max)
1/4 cup mayo (I used light mayo and it was awesome)
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese
Cayenne pepper, to taste
4 wedges lime

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
2. Grill corn until hot and lightly charred all over, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill. Roll the ears in melted butter (or brush butter on corn), then spread evenly with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and cayenne pepper and serve with a lime wedge.
3. Note: I soaked wooden spears in water for a few hours and poked them into the corn before grilling. They made it a lot easier to manipulate (and eat!!!) the corn.

Seafood gumbo

 If you're one of the two people that follow my blog, you'll notice that my activity has dropped off a bit in the last month or so. I blame travel and work. Well, more like the combination, i.e. traveling for work. I also blame work travel for gaining a few pounds. I'm not sure how many, since I'm afraid to step on the scale!

Anyways, last week I was in New Orleans. Our hotel was right on the edge of the French Quarter, which was perfect. Not too noisy, but close to all of the night life. And there is a lot of night life, as some of my more reserved coworkers discovered when walking down Bourbon Street at 10PM. Their reactions still put a smile on my face!

So, as a food tourist in New Orleans, I got to taste many delicious items, including oyster poboys, beignets, chicory coffee, different types of gumbo, and turtle soup. I still can't believe I ordered the turtle soup, but the subtle flavor of sherry (FYI: a southern coworker suggested I ask for more sherry, and the waiter came right over with a bottle, so it must be a common request. Um, yum!) took away a lot of the guilt I had about eating such a cute creature. I've offered to make some for friends, but have yet to find any takers. So, I'm considering tricking hubby into eating it, since turtle meat kind of looks like chicken. I'll report back if (and when) I do!

Oyster poboy at Johnny's Poboys

Anyways, I again digress. After my bowl of seafood gumbo, I immediately got out my computer and started looking for recipes. This recipe, taken from allrecipes.com, was ranked highly and immediately caught my eye. (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/good-new-orleans-creole-gumbo/?scale=10&ismetric=0) I can't say enough good things about it. The recipe was fun to make and immediately brought me back to the French Quarter. The only drawback was that the ingredients were pretty expensive. Be warned! (I could kind of tell this while assembling my grocery list, but felt that the splurge would be worth it. It was!!!)
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp bacon drippings (12 ounces of bacon should do it)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb andouile sausage, sliced
6 cups water
3 cubes beef bouilon
1.5 tsp white sugar
Salt to taste
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning blend
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1/2 6 ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp gumbo file powder
1 tbsp bacon drippings
1 10 ounce package frozen cut okra, thawed
1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
1.5 lbs uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp gumbo file powder

Directions

1. Make a roux by whisking the flour and 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
2. Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 1 tsp of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
4. Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. (I didn't cook my okra enough. They should probably be a bit crispy. Mine were lightly cooked and turned to mush in the gumbo.) Mix in crab meat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 1 more tsp of file gumbo powder.

Lemon blueberry pancakes

Have I ever told you how spoiled my husband is? It is not uncommon, although less common since we've been married, for me to greet him with breakfast in bed on the weekend. Perhaps he doesn't know that it is a ploy; I make the coffee extra-strong so he will get out of bed and go do errands with me! Although I've never been on the received end of this, he is pretty good about bringing me a glass of water and my iPhone at night, so I'd say we're even Steven.

Anyways, I rarely make pancakes, instead opting for eggs and toast. However, last night I decided that it was time to mix it up a bit (no pun intended) and I immediately thought of lemons and blueberry. Don't ask me why. All I can say is that these were amazing. The recipe only calls for one tbsp of sugar and it is definitely enough. The lemon adds such a nice hint of sweetness. I'd even go as far to say that these were better than doughnuts. And I love doughnuts!

Makes eight pancakes and is very easy.

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk (next time I"ll add a bit more, as the batter was a bit thick for my taste)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, or use frozen thawed blueberries

Preparation:

Beat egg until frothy; add remaining ingredients except blueberries, beating just until smooth. Gently stir in blueberries. Grease a heated griddle. For each pancake, pour about 3 tablespoons of batter from a large spoon or from pitcher onto the hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Magic chocolate flan cake

Have you ever seen a recipe in a cookbook, online, or in a magazine that made you wanted to drop everything and run to the grocery store to get the necessary ingredients? That is how I felt about this recipe when I saw it in December. I found it in my sister's copy of "Cooks Country" and although we had tons of Christmas cookies to enjoy, I was "this close" to making this too. (I used my Grandma's Christmas birthday as an excuse to make a cake, but the idea was vetoed by the saner members of my family given the landslide of sweets occupying every corner of the kitchen.) Oh, did I mention that I now have a subscription to "Cooks Country"? It has the best comfort food recipes ever!

Anyways, I finally got a chance to make this last week for the yearly work party. It turned out so beautifully that I wanted to put a sign next to it that said "Christy made this." Oh, and it tasted great too! I mean, how could custard, caramel, and chocolate be wrong? Now, it might look complicated, but I thought this was one of the simplier things I've made in the past few months. Easy button!

Oh, and if you're asking why this is called "magic", it's because you pour the chocolate layer in the bottom and the flan atop. The layers "magically" switch as the cake bakes. Science!

Serves 16

Ingredients - cake

½ cup caramel sauce
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients - flan

2 (14-ounce cans) sweetened condensed milk
2 ½ cups whole milk
6 ounces cream cheese
6 large eggs plus 4 large yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions (cake): Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. (Measure if you are unsure. Mine was more like 10 cups and I had to sacrifice 2 cups of flan.) Microwave caramel until easily pourable, about 30 seconds. Pour into pan to coat bottom. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl; set aside. Combine chocolate and butter in large bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter over caramel in prepared pan.

Directions (flan): Process all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Gently pour flan over cake batter in Bundt pan and place pan in large roasting pan. Place roasting pan on oven rack and pour warm water into roasting pan until it reaches halfway up side of Bundt pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean and flan resisters 180 degrees, 75 to 90 minutes (I did 75 minutes and next time would try a little less). Transfer Bundt pan to wire rack. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours. (Remove roasting pan from oven once water has cooled.) (I didn't realize I needed to cool this so long and needed it to be good to go 2 hours after it came out of the oven. I let it sit for 10 minutes and then plunged it into a bowl of ice, replacing the ice twice. Worked perfectly, whew!)

3. Place bottom third of Bundt pan in bowl of hot tap water for 1 minute. Invert completely flat cake plate, place platter over top of Bundt plan, and gently turn platter and pan upside down. Slowly remove pan, allowing caramel to drizzle over top of cake. Serve with extra caramel sauce drizzled over the top.

Banana mascarpone layer cake

When I first started cooking/baking I wasn't very good. Or, more appropriately, the food I made wasn't very good. I remember pudding I had to drain through a sieve and my suggestion that Jennifer should use cream of tarter to thicken her spaghetti sauce. Yuck! And although I moaned and groaned like any normal teenager would when my mom instituted the rule that Jennifer and I were each required to plan and prepare two meals a week, I am now thankful that I was required to learn to cook at an early age. (I'm sure Justin is grateful too, since I'm sure it has cut down on the number of kitchen disasters.)

Twenty-one years later (did I mention it was my birthday two days ago?), I now have a few thoughts on how to improve your culinary skills. The most important is to learn to identify the recipes you can faithfully recreate. If you're feeling adventurous/unsure, reserve that recipe for a time you're not hosting guests or feeling particularly broke. (Failed recipes can be quite expensive, as you not only have to buy ingredients that get dumped into the trash, but also the pizza afterwards!)

Anyways, how does this cake pertain to today's musings? I think it is a good stepping stone to improve your culinary skills if you've already baked a cake before, but want to try something a bit more advanced. Also, it is delicious and frosting can hide a lot of cooking uh-ohs!

I first made this cake four years ago and Justin has been requesting it ever since. It combines the best part of carrot cake (the frosting, but here improved with the addition of mascarpone) and banana bread (the moist, sweet taste.) It is quite dense, so should probably yield at least 16 slices if you're serving it for a birthday party, as I was. Speaking of birthday parties, I nominate Justin to bake next year's cake!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Scant 1 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (~3 large), plus 4 large bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons buttermilk
6 large egg whites
2 cups chilled mascarpone (16 oz)
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

 Directions

1 -  Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter the parchment paper. Dust the pan all over with flour, tapping out any excess. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2 - In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Add the mashed bananas and beat the mixture until smooth. Add half of the dry ingredients and beat at low-speed until the batter is moistened. Beat in half of the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk.
3 - In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until firm peaks form. (The best way to do this is to have the beaters and the bowl cold. I put them in the freezer 20 or so minutes before beginning.) Beat one-fourth of the egg whites into the batter at low speed. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whites until no streaks remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake the cakes for ~ 40 minutes, until the top is golden and springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; the top will be slightly cracked. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
4 - In a medium sized bowl, beat the mascarpone with the confectioners' sugar at medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using a large serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place the top layer cut side up on a cake plate and spread with 1/4 of the mascarpone frosting. Arrange half of the bananas in a single layer on the frosting. Repeat with two more layers. Place the top of the second cake atop the three layers, cut side down and frost the top and sides. (I would have preferred to have a bit more frosting. Consider adding 4 additional ounces of mascarpone if you're not very comfortable with frosting cakes.) Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate chip cookies with sea salt

We're one month into the semester and I can detect the mood changing in class. Students are starting to become overwhelmed with the amount of coursework. The most shocking thing is that they don't come to class regularly. (Did I mention that class is at 8AM?) What can I do to help stem this tide of anxiety while maintaining high standards?

So, of course the answer is chocolate. Now, I'm not inviting any comparisons to Dementors, but I wanted to do something for the students to reiterate that I'm approachable and cookies seemed like a perfect overture. I also mentioned my blog in passing last week, so I feel like I should put my cooking skills on display. Plus, I could use another treat or two to spice up the desserts section on my blog. The students were so surprised (and happy) when I mentioned cookies that some broke out into applause. It really made my day!!!

Are you surprised that these cookies were really yummy? Justin said "they look weird, but taste great." You know why? I was too lazy to walk to the grocery store to get dark brown sugar. So, I substituted white sugar and molasses. They looked burnt (courtesy of the molasses), but tasted divine. The hint of salt was a nice addition too. 

Oh, last warning. This recipe made a massive amount of cookies, at least 60. I quickly packed the remained for Justin to bring to work. Calorie bomb crisis averted!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup butter

3/4 cups dark brown sugar

3/4 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1- Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a baking sheet.
2 - In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add in the vanilla and eggs. Mix until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

3 - Roll dough into balls and drop on your greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before moving to a wire rack.

Spring greens

It's halftime in America. And no, I'm not referencing last year's Super Bowl commercial with Clint Eastwood that brought a tear to my eye. (If you don't know where I'm from, this should give you a good hint!)

It's too bad that none of our friends had a Super Bowl party this year. Maybe it's because the Super Bowl is on Sunday, all of our friends have kids, and no one wants to be h.o. on a Monday. (Did I mention that Justin took Monday off of work? Good planning, hubby!)

Since we don't have anywhere to go, I decided to throw a little party at our house. Justin's bringing the beer. Sure, it is just the three of us (dog makes three), but I spent the entire day in the kitchen nonetheless. This dish was the best by far and took the least amount of time. Go figure. However, I did have a fun adventure last night at the local Indian grocery store, which I'd never visited until then. Um, spices are so cheap there!!! I will be back. (Did I tell you that my spice collection is probably worth more than all my jewelry?)

And of course this is from Regional Indian Cooking. Funny, my friend Seth visited us yesterday and I showed him this cookbook. He has a copy of it. You should have one too!

We're done noshing and I just realized I could have done a New Orleans themed spread. Alas, next year I'll remember to do something inspired by the host city.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mustard oil (Purchased at Indian Grocery. I don't cook with a lot of oil, so I used 1/4 cup and it was very tasty. It might be a bit too pungent for my tastes if more was used.)
3 dried red chilies
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder. Just make sure this isn't the kind for chili, i.e. with cumin)
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground in spice grinder
1 1/2 lb assorted leafy greens and other spring vegetabls such as baby spinach, bok choy and scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
Salt

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. When it starts to smoke, reduce heat to medium.
2. Add chilies, chili powder, coriander, and any greens with firm stems. Stir and toss for two minutes. Add remaining greens and garlic and cook , tossing, until leaves wilt, 1-2 minutes.
3. Season to taste with salt. Remove and discard whole chilies. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Beef assado

This is a story about early morning adventures and obsession. Um, obsession because I am obsessed with the recipes from Regional Indian Cooking, the cookbook of the week! And early morning risers because I was at the grocery store at 6:00 AM (!!!) buying ingredients for this recipe. Why so early you may ask? Well, this recipe required marinating and I couldn't leave work at 2:00 PM to get it started. Hence my early trip to the grocery store. Would it disgust you to learn that I arrived at the store in my pjs?

Where was hubby you might ask during all of this commotion? Hanging out in bed of course. I got him back with my liberal use of the food processor. Of course I had to turn up NPR extra-loud, so I'm sure he heard all about the morning's news. Haha.

I find it strange that one of my only beef recipes on this blog comes from an Indian cookbook. However, the recipe says that you can substitute lamb if you're so inclined. I know that I gush all about the recipes I publish. (Remember that this blog has the ultimate missing data problem; you only see the recipes that worked.) Don't worry, not everything I do is fabulous. However, this recipe is!

Ingredients, beef asado

4 fresh mild long green chilies (I used Anaheim peppers. I was worried at first that they would be too spicy, but they were quite mild.)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp white vinegar
2 lb boneless stewing beef, such as chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 dried red chili
Plain yogurt, for garnish

Ingredients, carrot and roast peanut relish

10 oz carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup (4 oz) plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
2 tbsp unsalted rosasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 fresh mild long green chili, finely chopped (again, I used Anaheim peppers)
1 tsp sugar
salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Pinch powdered asafetida (I substituded a pinch of garlic and onion powder.)
1 tsp cumin seeds
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions - beef assado

1. In a food processor, combine fresh chilies, garlic, and ginger and process until chilies are finely chopped. Add tumeric, pepper, and vinegar and process until a paste forms. Transfer paste to a bowl, add meat, and toss well to coat mean evenly. Cover and set aside for 3 hours to marinate. (I left it for ~12 hours. The flavors were not overpowering.)
2. In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and salt and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until onions are softened, 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C).
3. Raise heat to high, add half of beef and cook, stirring until well browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove beef and onions from pan. Repeat with remaining beef. Return all beef to pan and add dried chili.
4. Cover, place in oven , and cook until beef is very tender, about 1.5 hours.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot over lentils or rice.

Directions - carrot and roast peanut relish

1. In a bowl, combine carrots, yogurt, peanuts, chili, and sugar and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl.
2. In a small frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add asfetida and cumin and cook until seeds start to pop, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour oil mixture atop carrot mixture.
3. Top with cilantro and serve.
Note: this relish tastes best when made just before serving.

Chicken with cauliflower

So, I'm moving along well with my new year's resolution to share a delicious recipe from all of my cookbooks. And tonight it is chicken with cauliflower. Perhaps you can tell that I'm not terribly inspired today to write this post. Don't let my laziness fool you. This dish may be the best thing I've made in the last 6 months. It.Is.So.Delicious. You've been warned. Oh, and it is probably better when you follow the directions. I guess those two glasses of pinot noir distracted me a bit. To the cook goes the spoils, err, big glass(es) of wine!

Aren't you intrigued?

This fabulous recipe is from Regional Indian Cooking, by Ajoy Joshi and Allison Roberts. The pictures in this cookbook are great and the recipes even better. I can't wait to try another offering. (And I can't believe I've waited six years to try out these recipes!)

Ingredients

2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp ground tumeric
16 oz ground chicken (the recipe called for 8 oz, but I've got a hungry husband to feed, so I used 16 oz of chicken thighs)
2 tbsp unsalted roasted cashews
2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts
2-3 tbsp hot water
1 cauliflower, about 1 3/4 lb
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
1 can coconut milk (I used the light version)

1 tbsp slivered blanched almonds, toasted (I was lazy and didn't toast them)
Chopped fresh cilantro

 Directions

1. In a spall food processor, combine onions, garlic, and ginger and process until finely chopped. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add half of onion mixture and cook stirring often, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Set the other 1/2 of the onion mixture aside in a bowl.
2. Add garam masala and 1/2 tsp tumeric to cooking onions, stirring, until fragrant 1-2 minutes.
3. Raise heat to high, add chicken, and cook until chicken changes color, 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Transfer chicken mixture to food processor, add cashews and peanuts, and process until well combined. Add enough hot water to process to a fine paste.
5. Cut florets from cauliflower, keeping stalks short .In saucepan, heat remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add remaining onion (that you set aside in step #1) mixture and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, chili powder, and remaining 1/2 tsp tumeric and cook until tomoatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
6. Stir coconut milk and chicken mixture into pan. Place cauliflower in pan, heads down. Cover and cook over low heat, turning cauliflower florets once, until cauliflower is tender, 15-20 minutes.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Transfer to serving dish and top with almonts and cilantro. Serve hot, with rice or nan.