Mac & Cheese

Yummy crunchy + creamy Mac & Cheese.  I love how I use whole wheat just to make myself feel better when I eat it.  Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cup - Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta
4 Cup - Water, to boil

16 oz - Heavy Cream
6 oz - Gouda Cheese, grated
1 oz - Parmasean Cheese, grated
3 oz - Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 oz - Bread Crumb, sprinkle on top

Directions:
1.  Prepare pasta until tender, set strain and set aside.
2.  Heat heavy cream until bubble on the side, add all the grated cheese and allow them to melt. 
3.  Place the cooked elbow pasta into the cheese sauce, stir and add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Pour Mac & Cheese into individual ramekins or a large pan (4"x6" rectangle).
5.  Sprinkle bread crumb on top and bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
6.  Ready to serve!

Pears

Pears!  What to do with them?!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients
1 - Onion, diced
2 Clove - Garlic, minced
1lb - Ground Turkey
1 Tbsp - Chili Powder
1 Tsp - Cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp - Cayenne Pepper
1 (15oz) - Tomato Can, chunky
1 (15oz) - Black Beans
1 1/2 Cup - Vegetable Stock
1 Bundle - Green onions
Salt & Pepper

 Heat 1 Tbsp - Olive Oil, stir onion until translucent (5 minutes), then add garlic.

Add Ground Turkey, chili power, cayenne pepper, and cumin.

Cook turkey until no longer pink.

Add tomatoes, black beans, and vegetable stock.

 Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add 1/2 of the chopped green onions, salt and pepper to taste and turn off the heat, stir.

Place Turkey Chili over brown rice and add more green onions. 

If you have avocado, even better!  Enjoy!

Ramen @ Home

Delicious!

 The Broth

 Sunny Side Up Eggs for Protein

Shredded Lettuce

 Mogwart Noodles

And the Final Product!  Yummy!!

ROSE

MOMOFUKU'S CORN COOKIES

Recipe from their new book called Momofuku Milk Bar

Blackberry Preserves

What to do with preserves?  Sandwich them in crackers!

BLACKBERRY PRESERVES
Yield:  4 - 8oz Jars

Ingredients:
2lbs - Blackberries
1lb, 2oz - Sugar
3oz - Lemon Juice
2 tsp - Pectin

 Procedure:

1.  Place 2lb blackberries in non-reactive bowl.  

2. Pour 1lb, 2 oz of sugar on top of the blackberries and lightly fold with spatula.  Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 8 hours or in the fridge overnight to macerate.

 3.  Sterilize your jars, let dry and set aside.

4.  Strain the juice of the berries with a colander into a non-reactive pan.  Set the berries aside.  In the meantime, bring the blackberry juice to a boil and add the lemon juice.  Continue to stir frequently for 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced in half the amount.  Pour the blackberries in and stir in the pectin for 2 minutes.

5.  Pour the preserves into the jar with at least 1/4" of room on the top.  Seal with a lid, close tightly and immerse in hot water and boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from pot and let cool. 

6.  Serve your lovely preserves with cheese & crackers....MMmm...delicious!

I may use my preserves with cheesecake soon!  Until next time, enjoy.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Daylight savings time (FALL BACK) and I have an hour to spare!  Since it was raining so hard today, I was craving for a warm cookie and nothing beats our loving classic chocolate chip cookies.  I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

Whenever I bake with chocolate, I feel so guilty not being able to share with Snoopy.  So, I scooped enough  batter out to make six mini cookies for my lil' dog today.  He very much appreciates them without the chocolate chips too.

The plus side of baking today is, I got new pans that fit exactly into my oven.  It was able to hold 24 mini cookies each time, YAY!  

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Yield: 72 (1 1/4") Cookies


Ingredients:

1 Cup - Butter, @ room temperature
1 Cup - Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 Cup - Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs, @ room temperature
2 tsp - Vanilla Extract

3 Cups - All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp - Baking  Powder
1 tsp - Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp - Salt

6oz - Mini Chocolate Chips (you can find these in Target or Smart & Final)

Procedure:
1.   Cream Butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes, scrape the bowl.

2.   Add the egg slowly one at a time, then add the vanilla extract, mix for 4-5 minutes, scrape the bowl.

3.  Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the mixture into 3 parts until incorporated.

4.  Stop the machine, toss in the mini chocolate chips and fold into the batter.  Scoop onto baking sheets and chill in refrigerator for 1hr or chill in freezer for 15 minutes.

5.  Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, pull cookie tray out, use a spatula and lightly flatten the cookies.  Put into the oven for  1.5 - 2 more minutes.

6.  Remove from baking tray and cool.

Persimmon Bread

Persimmon is one of those lovely fruits in the fall.  The rich orange tone and its sweet flesh from leaving them to ripe make them taste amazing when baked.  I came across this recipe from one of James Beard book.  Enjoy!  Did I mention, this recipe calls for COGNAC! Mmmm.... 

Persimmon Bread
Adapted from: Beard on Bread
By: James Beard

3½ cups - Sifted Flour
1½ tsp - salt
2 tsp - baking soda
1 tsp - ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups - sugar
*note:  I only used 1 3/4 cup of sugar; amt of sugar makes cake softer
1 cup - unsalted butter, melted and cool at room temperature
4 - large eggs, @ room temperature
2/3 cup - Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups - persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups - walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups - raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates) 
*note:  I would use less raisins next time, two cup was a little much for me

1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.

5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.

Buttermilk Waffles

My husband finally gave in and bought himself a second Xbox since his previous one had finally retired.  I love how he would justify that it's quite an old machine since he bought that in 2005.  Who would have known he would buy another one since he recently bought a PS3, too. 

A great reason for me to not feel guilty and reward myself since I've been contemplating on this waffle maker from William Sonoma!

ALL - CLAD :)

HACHI BUTTERMILK WAFFLES
Yield (12 Waffle Squares)

3/4 Cup - Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup - All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup - Cake Flour
1/4 Cup - Almond Meal
2 tsp - Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp - Baking Soda
1/4 tsp - Salt
3 Tbsp - Sugar

70g - Melted Butter
2 - Egg Yolks
2 - Egg Whites
2 tsp - Vanilla Extract
2 Cup - Buttermilk

Procedure

1.  Melt butter, set aside to cool.
2.  Combine all dry ingredients, set aside.
3.  In a stainless steel bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks, set aside.
4.  Whisk egg yolk, vanilla, melted butter, and buttermilk until incorporated.
5.  Mix all the dry and wet together.
6.  Stir in 1/4 of the egg white until combined.
7.  Fold in the rest of the egg white altogether, do not over mix.
8.  Pour batter accordingly as instructed from the waffle maker.

Enjoy!

Almond-Grape Tea Cake

I came across this recipe from the Everyday FOOD Magazine, September 2011 issue.  The image was lovely and I was intrigue to taste tea cake with grapes being bake.  The baking grapes were bursting in my mouth filled with a bold sweetness to it, similar to dates.  Who knew texture of baked grapes can be this phenomenal.  Enjoy!

Almond-Grape Tea Cake
(ADAPTED FROM Everyday FOOD, SEPT. 2011)


Ingredients
10 Tbsp - Butter, @ room temperature
1 Cup - All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup - Sugar
3 - Large Eggs
8 oz - Slivered almonds (I used almond meal)
1/4 tsp - Salt
1 tsp - Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 tsp - Lemon Zest
18 grapes, halved crosswise

(Creaming Method)

Pina Colada Cupcakes

I was prepping some baked goods for my lil' brother's wedding ceremony since they were having a dessert bar for their guests.  It was an honor to be able to share my joy in baking and end their night on a sweet node because they were the sweetest couple. 

After 48 mini cupcakes were baked, there were still batter left from the mix.  What does one do when there are batter left from baking mini cupcakes?  Bake regular size cupcakes!  These are delicious Pina Colada Cupcakes...Mmm...

Raspberry & Chocolate Brownies

Raspberry and Chocolate are one of my favorite combination in desserts.  I love the smell of baked fresh raspberries with the chocolate aroma altogether, smells delicious!  Enjoy as much as I do!

Raspberry & Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients

2 Stick/8oz - Butter
7oz - Dark Chocolate
4 Large - Eggs
3/4 Cup - Light Brown Sugar
1 1/3 Cups - All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup - Cocoa Powder
1 tsp - Baking Powder
2 Cups - Fresh Raspberries

Procedure

1.  Place butter and chocolate in a bain marie (aka double boiler) and melt until smooth, set aside.
2.  Whisk eggs and brown sugar until smooth, add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and melted chocolate/butter and stir until combined.
3.  Place into a square pan and fill top with raspberries.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven (make sure to not over bake it).
4.  Cool brownies on rack, cut and serve.

Baby Shower Sugar Cookies

Baby Shower Cookies! 

Teddy Bear

Elephant

The finished product!

Sugar Cookies 

6 Cups - All Purpose Flour

1 tsp - Salt

2 tsp - Baking Soda

2 Cups - Unsalted butter, @ room temperature

2 Cups - Granulated Sugar

3 - Large Eggs

1 Tbsp - Vanilla Extract

Green Pops!

What do you do when there's extra green smoothie left over?  GREEN POPS!

My daily dose of green smootie consists of:

12 oz - Unsweetened Soymilk (can split in half in replacement of water, but it tastes so much creamier with full dose of soymilk)
1 Cup - Kale, packed (substitute w/ Mustard Greens, Chard, Cilantro, Spinach)
1 Cup - Spinach, packed (substitute w/ arugula - gives it a nutty & earthy flavor)
1 Tbsp - Chia Seeds
1 tsp - Flaxseed (has a distinctive flavor, you may or may not like this)
2 - Persian Cucumber
2 - Peaches, rippened
1 - Banana, rippened (perfect sweetener to the mix)

Blend this altogether, serve approximately 32 - 40 oz.  I usually have 6 oz of this stuff as part of the breakfast (makes me full), save the 10 oz for late snack in the day.  My David drinks the rest of his share in the morning, I make the second batch above where mom gets one 16 oz in the morning and the other half is David's snack  of the late day :D.  Yum!

Masaman Curry w/ Quinoa

Tonight's dinner will be vegetarian curry over a bed of quinoa cooked in perfection by my hubby.  The last curry we made was green curry and although it tasted amazing, it was a bit spicy for me.  This time, we are going to make Masaman Curry.

The Masaman curry paste consists of the following ingredients:
Shallot - 24%
Dried Red Chilli - 21%
Garlic - 20%
Lemon Grass - 12%
Salt - 12%
Galangal -5%
Other Spices - 3%
Coriander Seed - 2%
Cumin Powder - 1%
Total:  100%

Isn't it lovely to know exactly what goes in this curry paste?!  Although that 1% of "Other Spices" may be a secret ingredient?  I used the AROY-D brand (I love the flavor of this brand).

Masaman Curry

Ingredients:
Veggies
2 Cups - Eggplants, cubed (1/2")
1 Bundle - Green Onions, chopped (1/2 - for garnish)
1/2 - Red Onions, chopped (1/2")
4-5 - Cloves of Garlic, minced
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1 - Package Squid Nuggets (May substitute with fish balls, shrimp, meat, etc.)
50g - Masaman Curry Paste
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2 - Cans Coconut Milk (13.5 oz each, may substitute 1/2 with low fat milk)
4 Tbsp - Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp - Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp - Tamarind Paste

 Yay, Eggplants!  1.  Dice them and set aside.

2.  Chop green onions and 1/2 the red onions, set aside.

3.  Put 1 - Tbsp Oil and stir in garlic, red onions, green onions until translucent.  Then add squid nuggets and combine the masaman curry paste.

4.  Add the coconut milk, let simmer, add brown sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce, eggplant and cook until desired tenderness of the eggplant.  (Once you add the tamarind paste, it creates a wonderful golden/red hue to the curry).

5.  Yippie!  Top the curry over a bed of Quinoa and sprinkle some green onions!

Banana Nut Bread

My mom bought a little too much fruits lately. 2 bags of bananas last week and we still couldn't finish the bundle as we use 2 bananas every morning for our daily dose of green smoothies before heading out the door.  It was funny how my mom was waiting for her smoothie yesterday to realize that David and I don't work on weekends, sorry mom, I'll make a large cup of green smoothies for you tomorrow morning! 

It's Sunday tonight, and it's time to clear out the bananas because they are getting very brown.  The perfect color for awesome banana bread!  I usually do not like using the loaf to make the bread, because it gets a little crispy on the edges, and the center is harder to cook.  Hopefully by using a tube pan, it will cook much better.  This is one of my mom's favorite, it's scrumptious!

 

The Finish Product!

Banana Nut Bread
Yield - 1 Tube Pan

Ingredients:

10 oz - Butter, @ room temperature (72-76F)
10 oz - Granulated Sugar
---------------------------------------------------------
3 - Large Eggs, @ room temperature (72-76F)
1 tsp - Vanilla Extract
---------------------------------------------------------
1lb, 4 oz - Cake Flour
2 tsp - Baking Soda
1 tsp - Baking Powder
0.25 oz - Salt
---------------------------------------------------------
1lb, 4 oz - Banana, puree and ripped
---------------------------------------------------------
4 oz - Walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted

Procedure:
Creaming Method

1.  Cream butter until light and fluffy (airing it to produce bubbles for fluffy rise of the bread).  Add sugar slowly until combined.  Make sure to scrape the bowl occasionally.
2.  Add eggs one at a time until combined, add vanilla extract.
3.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt altogether, add to the mix while alternating with the banana puree + water.
4.  When all combined,  add walnuts and fold into the batter.
5.  Grease pan with butter and then flour, pour in the batter, place in an oven at 350F for 40 minutes. 
6.  Cool on rack for 15 minutes, then release from pan.
7.  Ready to serve warm!

Veggie Square Pizza

My hubby and I have been eating a lot of pizza, yet, we still crave for more Pizza.  Hence, PIZZA for dinner tonight!  I am making the dough from scratch and the marinara sauce; since we have extra canned tomatoes at home.  Enjoy the recipe and photos below.

Pizza Dough
Yields:  (1) 18"x24" Pan - Regular Crust; & (1) 9"x12" Pan - Thin Crust

Ingredients:
16 oz - Luke warm water
0.625 oz - Dry Yeast
0.500 oz - Salt
0.375 oz - Sugar
3 oz - Olive Oil
12 oz - Bread Flour
12 oz - Whole Wheat Flour

Procedure:
1.  Mix 10 oz water w/ dry yeast to activate the yeast, set aside.
2.  Combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, sugar in mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment.
3.  Mix in medium and pour in the 3 oz olive oil.
4.  Continue to pour the 10oz water & yeast mixture to the dough.
5.  Slowly add the remaining of the water (6oz) until the dough pulls together, not sticky to touch.
6.  Let dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before rolling.
7.  Roll dough and oil pan with olive oil and sprinkle cormeal/semolina onto pan.
8.  For regular/thick crust:  Place dough onto pan and bake at 475F.  Cook dough for 15 minutes so when adding marinara sauce on top will not make the dough soggy.
9.  When dough is ready, pull out and top with marinara sauce, preferred cheese and vegetable toppings.  (If making thin crust, can go ahead and top with marinara sauce, toppings and into oven for 15-20 minutes).

Marinara Sauce:

1 Tbsp - Olive Oil
4-5 Cloves - Garlic
1/2 - Large Red Onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp - salt
20 oz - Crushed Tomatoes
4 tbsp - Tomato paste
4 tbsp - Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp - Oregano
1/2 tsp - Chili Pepper Flakes
1/8 tsp - Cayenne Pepper

Procedure:
1.  Place olive oil into sauce pan, add garlic and toss until translucent, do not burn.
2.  Add the red onion into the sauce pan and toss until translucent, combine salt.
3.  Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar and let simmer for 5 minutes while stirring.
4.  Add oregano, chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and turn off the stove, let cool.
5.  Ready to use!

Pizza Toppings I used:
2 - Large Tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 - Large Red Onions, thinly sliced
1 Cup - Mushrooms
1 1/2 Cup - Arugula
1/2 Cup - Asiago Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup - Gouda Cheese, cubed

Sesame Noodles w/ Tofu & Veggies

Tofu & Quinoa Pasta series again! This time, I used a high protein tofu follow by Quinoa Spaghetti.

Sesame Sauce
Adapted from:  Canadian Living - 2011 Eat Right

1/3 Cup - Tahini Paste
3 Tbsp - Hot Water
2Tbsp (each) - Soy Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar
1Tbsp (each) - Sesame Oil, Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp - Sugar
Pinch - Salt

Mix altogether!