From the Oven - Baked Lamb Shanks

HAPPY NEW YEAR

One of my goals this year is to allow myself more opportunities to enjoy the people, places, & things I love...like food!

A while ago Russell's mom brought us a couple of lamb shanks; but we hadn't found time time to cook it until things slowed down for the holidays.

When it came time to look for a fail-proof recipe to treat my lamb shanks, I turned to the place that I have learned not to doubt: America's Test Kitchen. I have always loved America's Test Kitchen because it is scientific & it is their job to takes out all of the guess-work for the home cook. Unfortunately, there was not a recipe for lamb shanks there...@ least not 1 that I can get without providing my credit card information.

Next I turned the search over to my good friend Google (it beats Bing...I've tested it) & the result was overwhelming. Most of the recipes call for a large dutch oven - which I don't have - & for braising the lamb shanks in a good amount of liquid at a high oven temperature for 3-4 hours. The only recipe that was different was one from Jamie Oliver which called for minimal equipment, lower oven temperature, & a shorter cooking time. Can anyone say perfect?

The Prep List...
   2 lamb shanks (~3 pounds total)
   4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
   3 sprigs of fresh thyme
   8 fresh sage leaves
   3 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
   1 large carrot
   0.5 yellow onion
   1 leek, well rinsed
   6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
   6 ounces white wine
   Olive oil
   Salt + Black pepper

Step-by-step Instructions...   
   Roughly chop up the leaves of 2 sprigs of rosemary, all 3 sprigs of thyme, & 4 of the sage leaves
   Thoroughly combine the chopped herb with the softened butter
   Using a small knife, separate the meat of each lamb shank from the bone, creating pockets
   Evenly distribute the herb butter into the pockets on the lamb shanks, set aside
   Peel the carrot and dice into small pieces; Thinly slice the onion and the leek
   Tear out 2 pieces of foil (about 10x12) and divide the vegetable & the garlic cloves onto each
   Oil the lamb shanks, season with salt & pepper, & place 1 on each pile of vegetables (bone sticking up)
   Place 1 whole sprig of rosemary & 2 sage leaves on top of each lamb shank
   Gather the foil & pour in the white wine; close it tightly around the bone to form 2 packets
   Place the packets onto a baking sheet & bake at 350F for 2.5 hours

Makes 2 servings

The result was tasty but a little too oily. The lamb shanks were tender & flavorful thanks to the pockets of herb butter. While we certainly enjoyed the animal protein, the vegetables on the bottom were even more delicious. The onion & leek were extremely tender & sweet, & the carrots were not the least bit crunchy or grassy...just the way I like them. We ate the dish with rice (poor planning) but it would also go well with rice pilaf, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or even mashed cauliflower!

From the Oven - Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

The week before my GRE there was some serious cramming.  I was doing practice problems during my lunch break @ work; I was studying on the bus; & for a couple of nights, I would do practice tests...often starting at 9pm & finishing at 11:30pm.

Since I couldn't go to sleep immediately after all that studying, I found myself watching episodes of DC Cupcakes on the tiny screen of my iPhone.  I have always loved cupcakes & - before it closed - my absolutely favorite cupcakery is Everything Frosted in New York's Chinatown.  But as much as I love eating cupcakes, I have never tried to make them; I think the frosting scared me away.  Watching all those episodes of DC Cupcakes really inspired me & with the GRE now officially in my rearview mirror, it's time to give it a whirl.

Not your average cupcake recipe, but the frosting is pretty standard...
   For the chocolate'y cupcakes
      0.3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
      0.5 teaspoon baking soda
      0.5 cup boiling water
      0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted
      0.15 cup vegetable (or neutral) oil
      1 cup granulated sugar
      0.75 teaspoon vanilla extract
      0.5 teaspoon salt
      1 egg + 1 egg yolk
      0.25 cup heavy cream
      1 cup all-purpose flour
   For the farm fresh frosting
      1 cup unsalted butter, softened
      2 pints fresh raspberries
      0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
      Pinch of salt
      2 cups powdered sugar (more/less depending on the desired consistency)

Now to put it all together...
     Whisk together the cocoa powder & the baking soda in a heat proof bowl
     Add the cocoa powder mixture to the boiling water & stir until the bubbling subsides
     In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, & salt
     Add the egg & egg yolk 1 @ a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition
     Add in the chocolate mixture & blend until fulling incorporated
     Add in the heavy cream, blend, & then slowly stir in the flour
     Evenly portion the batter into a lined cupcake pan (~ 2/3 full)
     Bake at 350F for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
     Once baked, remove cupcakes from the pan & let cool completely on a wire rack
     In a small sauce pan, cook down the raspberries
     Strain raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve & return liquid to the stove; reduce until thick
     Once the raspberry liquid has reduced to about 0.5 cup, let cool for 15 minutes
     In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, vanilla, salt,  & raspberry sauce
     Cream the ingredients with an electric mixture until well combined
     Add in powdered sugar 0.5 cup at a time until the proper consistency is reached
     Put frosting into a piping bag & decorate cupcakes as desired

Makes 12 cupcakes

Separately, the cake was moist although the edges were slightly dry. The frosting tasted great but it wasn't very fluffy because I was afraid to add too much powdered sugar...it was so sweet already.  Together, however, the chocolate flavor pretty much covered up the raspberry entirely; maybe additional sugar in the frosting would have helped?  If I am being honest, I did a horrendous job frosting the cupcakes.  My original intention was to do a simple swirl but the piping bag tip I have is way too small & so I had to go around & around the cupcake...thus creating what kind of looks like a pile of turd!  I am not trying to be gross since this is a food blog but look @ the picture & tell me I'm wrong.

All in all, I would say this 1st attempt was a semi-success.  Next on the list are a Nutella cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting & an angle food cupcake with strawberry whipped cream frosting.  But before I start on these next attempts I am going to spend some time learning how to properly make frosting & how to properly frost cupcakes.

Playing with My Food - Cling Wrap Poached Egg

Our cat has a strict routine.  Every morning @ approximately 5:56am Sheldon would reach his claws under the blankets & "play tag" with my toes.  After being threatened to get kicked off (literally) the bed a couple of times,  Sheldon would proceed up to my pillow where he'd settle down comfortably next to my head & begin to munch on my scalp/hair.  On a work day my alarm goes off @ 6:00am so it's not usually such a big deal; but on the weekends when I don't have an alarm, it's really annoying.  So what does Sheldon's morning ritual have to do with what I'm writing about?  I'm getting to it.

This past Saturday morning Sheldon gave me the usual morning call & after giving him breakfast, I was desperately trying to fall back asleep.  You see, it was GRE day & for me, standardized testing and sleep deprivation just don't mix.  One tried & true way to get me to quickly fall asleep is to have me watch a show - any show - while in a comfy position (e.g. in bed).  So I picked up my phone, opened up Netflix, & began browsing for something to watch.  As I scrolled, I stumbled upon a PBS show called The Mind of a Chef featuring chef David Chang of the Momofuku empire. Did I mention the show is produced by Anthony Bourdain?  Anyway, the plan was to watch this show for 10-20 minutes, fall asleep, & go on with my day.  I finished the first episode (~20 minutes); then I watched the second episode; then I woke Russell up & we watched the 3rd episode; then we got out of bed & watched more episodes until it was time for me to leave to take the GRE. To say I was hooked on the show is a little bit of an understatement.

The GRE went well enough & the rest of Saturday passed with Russell & I stuffing our faces with oysters before heading home to watch more episodes of Mind of a Chef.  This pattern of "obsessive viewing" continued for parts of Sunday when all of a sudden Russell decided he was going to try out one of the cooking techniques featured in the show; the one where David Chang poaches eggs in little packets made of cling wrap.

The process is simple...
     Put a good-sized piece of cling wrap over a small bowl or ramekin
     Spray the cling wrap with a little bit of non-stick spray & sprinkle on some salt & pepper
     Crack the egg into the cling wrap & bring up the sides, making sure to remove all the free air
     Take a piece of string or a strip of cling wrap& tie off the packet.
     Place the packet into barely boiling water & let it cook for 4 minutes
     Careful unwrap the packet & remove the cling wrap from the egg

When we unveiled the egg it looked a lot like a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese but once we cut into it, the gooey yolk started to run out just like a regular poached egg.  According to other recipes for cling wrap poached egg, you can use any kind of oil & seasoning to flavor the egg before it is cooked.  This technique for poaching eggs is so quick & simple compared to the traditional methods of making a vortex or adding vinegar to the water.  Before I knew about this technique, my eggs would either get stuck at the bottom of the pot or half of the egg white would float off in little chunks.

Later on in the show chef Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) demonstrates his interpretation of Eggs Benedict & he remarks that Eggs Benedict is a dish made with eggs topped with more eggs (Hollandaise sauce is made with egg yolks).  This was a total lightbulb moment for me!  It's so obvious I can't believe I had never seen it like that before.  I repeated this statement to Russell & he said the idea of egg-on-egg is too "gratuitous." To simply matters, we came up with a brilliant idea: to replace the egg yolk with Hollandaise sauce.  Now we just have to experiment until we can get it done.

Quick & Easy - Cream Cheese Pancakes

A while back, I suggested to Russell that we should try eating gluten-free for a little while; partly because I wanted to learn more about the diet & partly because I wanted to see if we would feel any different.  To prepare for this adventure, I did a lot of research on Pinterest (where else?) and found a recipe for these pancakes that doesn't require the use of any flour whatsoever.  Interesting...  I pinned the link to my recipes board & forgot all about it.

A few Saturdays after I found the recipe I woke up craving pancakes but I didn't want to go through all the labor of making traditional buttermilk pancakes; not to mention I didn't even have buttermilk in my house.  Frustrated but not ready to give up, I got on my computer to start browsing for options when I stumbled upon the G'free pancakes again.  I wasn't exactly in the mood for experimenting with a new recipe @ 9am on a Saturday morning but my craving was too strong & I gave in.

I didn't have to buy black bean or garbanzo bean flour...
     2 ounces cream cheese
     2 eggs
     1 teaspoon sugar
     0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

This is the quickest pancake batter ever...
     Combine all the ingredients in a personal-sized blender & blend until combined
     Let the batter rest for 2 minutes
     Pour one-quarter of the batter into a well greased pan & cook for 1 minute per side

 Makes 4 pancakes

The end product looked more like crepes than pancakes because they were think with a lacy boarder rather than hearty and fluffy.  I guess that's to be expected since there is no leavening agent in the batter.  In terms of texture, they were close to the real thing but they did feel slightly spongy & perhaps "squeaked" between my teeth on occasional bites.  I liked that these pancakes were not too sweet so I could add fruit, powdered sugar, or syrup to them without taking it overboard.  I added a "relish" of macerated cherries this time because I didn't have any maple syrup @ home & I had gotten some delicious cherries from a work gathering a few days before.

I made the mistake of trying to flip the pancakes before the 1 minute was up.  Big mistake.  These little sheets were so thin & delicate they ripped under the slightest bit of pressure.  I was able to fix the mishap by re-greasing my pan with cooking spray after each pancake & to make sure to wait @ least 1 minute before going anywhere near the pan with a spatula.

Since these pancakes were so light, a single service of 4 pancakes was not enough and I ended up making myself a smoothie afterwards.  Nevertheless, this was a simple & delicious introduction to gluten-free cooking.

By the way...we have yet to go on that G'free diet.

Quick & Easy - 5 Minute Hummus Dip

Hummus holds a very special place in my heart.  The first time I had hummus was with my  college suite-mate when we were hanging out in her room.  From the very first dip, I was hooked...to the point where I would finish a container of Trader Joe's roasted garlic hummus by myself in 1 sitting.  I would continue this pattern of eating my friend's hummus until a Trader Joe's opened near my parents' home & I was able to get my very own.  I don't eat so much hummus anymore, but whenever I do happen to get my hands on it, you can expect me to go a little bit out of control.

I was feeling particularly snack'y the other day but I didn't want to eat my pita chips by themselves so I rummaged around my cupboards in search for a condiment.  I found no such thing but I did find a can of garbanzo beans that has been in my possession for...let's just say much longer than it should.  Hopeful to rid my home of this can of beans & inspired by the pita chips, I went for the first thing that came to mind.  A quick minute on the internet & a recipe from the magnificent Alton Brown & I'm ready to go.

No tricky ingredients...
     3 cloves garlic, peeled
     1 can garbanzo bean (a.k.a. chickpeas)
     2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
     0.5 lemon, zest & juice
     2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
     Salt & black pepper to taste

No complex steps...
Drain the garbanzo beans really well & set aside
In a food processor, pulse to chop the garlic gloves
Add in the garbanzo bean & continue to pulse until it starts to look like a paste
Add in the peanut butter, lemon zest/juice, olive oil, & process until smooth
Season with salt & pepper & blend for an extra minute

Makes approximately 2.5 cups

The end product looked like store-bought hummus except slightly more liquid.  The flavor was really nice, especially the little bit of spiciness from the raw garlic.  However, there was a "raw" flavor from the garbanzo beans that was pretty prominent.  Maybe that's the disadvantage of using canned beans.  Or maybe my can had just been around for a little too long.  Traditionally, hummus is made with tahini (sesame paste) but since I didn't have any, I used peanut butter as a substitute.  I couldn't really taste the peanut butter & it didn't do anything for the texture of the hummus.  Perhaps I can use sesame oil in place of half of the olive oil next time to get that sesame flavor.  After letting the dip sit in the fridge overnight, the consistency became much thicker but the weird bean flavor was still there.  For an even healthier snack, I eat the dip with radish instead of pita chips.  Now that I know hummus isn't that difficult to make, I am going to try & come up with a copy cat version of my favorite - Trader Joe's roasted garlic hummus!

Quick & Easy - Seared Tuna Salad with Tangy Sesame Dressing

It was a very important time in our household last week - Russell was going to be "cashing in" months of studying & preparation to take the MCAT.  That test is not only hard because of its content, but it's also hard because it takes hours; @ least they have removed the writing section.  So on the eve of the exam, he wanted a meal that would load him up with brain- & body-boosting nutrients so he could go into the test center in tip top form.  I wasn't sure what to make but Russell suggested tuna since it's full of Omega-3 fatty acid, it's tasty, & really quick to prepare.  With that as my guide, I decided to take the rest of the meal in an Asian direction; & instead of making our usual white rice to go with the fish, I went with a hearty, bright-tasting salad.

There are some kooky ingredients that might require a trip to the store...
     2 8-ounce sushi-grade tuna filets
     0.13 cup low sodium soy sauce
     1.5 teaspoons mirin
     1.5 teaspoons honey
     1.5 teaspoons sesame oil
     3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
     1 cup cucumber, sliced into semi-circles
     1 avocado, sliced
     0.25 cup tangy sesame dressing*

Dinner will be ready in a flash...
     In a wide dish, mix together the soy sauce, mirin, honey, & sesame oil
     Generously coat each tuna filet in the marinade
     Heat a skillet until it is very hot & sear the filets for 30 seconds on each side
     Let the filets rest for 1 minute before cutting it into thin slices
     In a large mixing bowl, combine the romaine lettuce & cucumber & toss with the sesame dressing
     Place the sliced avocado on top of the salad once it has been plated & then place the tuna on top

Makes 2 servings

This meal was super light & it was filled with a whole bunch of good-for-you nutrients.  The salad by itself is fantastic & the zippy taste is great for waking up the palate, especially on those days when the weather is hot & you feel all "bleh."

I am not a huge fan of mayo but I do love me some Japanese mayonnaise.  Before you say they are the same thing, let me assure you that they are not!  Japanese mayonnaise is more yellow in color & it tastes a lot richer than regular mayo.  Plus, it comes in this squeeze bottle with a baby printed on it & it has a star-shaped opening for decorative dispensing!  If you are really against using mayo or if you just don't have any on hand, try substituting it with dijon mustard & halve the amount of rice vinegar.  I am also contemplating making the dressing using a bit of avocado next time, but that would require the usage of my mini blender.

I didn't slice my tuna into thin pieces because it was getting torn apart by the knife & that would not make an appetizing photo.  I know that to get a tender piece of steak, I am supposed to cut "across the grain", but what about slicing tuna?  I tried to go along with the segmentation on the filet but that also did not go well...Russell's plate looked like it had been "inspected" by Sheldon before dinner was ready.

* To make the tangy sesame dressing, vigorously whisk together 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoons rice vinegar, 0.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 0.5 teaspoon sugar, 0.25 teaspoon mirin, 0.25 teaspoon sesame oil, & a pinch of salt.

Edible Beauty - Honey Apple Cider Vinegar Oatmeal Facial Scrub

HAPPY 100TH POST

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I am happy to introduce a new series of blog posts: Edible Beauty.  I tried to think of a more creative title but alas I was unsuccessful.  We all know eating healthy foods can help improve our bodies from the inside; but some of these same foods can also help improve our bodies from the outside...sometimes even better than the über expensive products.  So why not give them a try?

To start off the series, I want to share the recipe for a facial scrub that can either be used daily or once in a while & it promises to leave the skin feeling great for hours to come.

About a week ago, my face broke out with a ton of tiny bumps.  After browsing the web, I was pretty sure I had contact dermatitis (allergic reaction to something my face touched).  I don't know for sure how I got it but I suspect it happened when I was trying on clothes a couple of days before.  These bumps itched like crazy & the ones on my cheek even burned a bit.  I didn't want to go to the doctor because I was already doing what she would tell me to do: take antihistamine & rub hydrocortisone cream on my face.  What's worse, if I were to tell her that's what I was already doing, she might give me steroids. No, thank you!

I needed something that would relieve the itch/pain & I wanted it to be natural.  So I went browsing through the web once more & many say a facial scrub can help unclog pores & relieve my symptoms.  There are a ton of recipes for natural facial scrubs out there but settled on the one that had the properties that I was looking for & had all the ingredients in the house already!

What you will need to make this scrub...
     2 tablespoons oat meal, crust into smaller pieces
     1.5 teaspoons natural honey
     0.25 teaspoon natural, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

In a small bowl...
     Mix everything together using your fingers until well incorporated
     Add a water if the paste is too thick, it should be thick but not paste like
     Spread the scrub all over the face using circular motion
     Leave the scrub on for a couple of minutes & then rinse with plenty of tepid water
     Pat the face dry & moisturize

For a daily scrub, ground up the oatmeal until it looks almost like a powder.  I ground up a whole bunch & keeps it in a tupperware container & just take out the amount I need.  For an occasional scrub, crush up the oatmeal a little bit with fingers or with a spoon.  The bigger pieces are going to be rougher on the skin, giving it a more thorough scrub down.

So oatmeal, honey, & apple cider vinegar; what exactly do they do & how do they benefit the skin?

As foods...
Oatmeal is great for lowering high cholesterol & high blood pressure to improve cardiovascular health.  The high amount of fiber is also good for regulating the digestive system.  Honey is a great natural sweetener that can be used to substitute sugar & it has been shown to be able to lower cholesterol.  Apple cider vinegar recently rose to superstardom for its multitude of benefits as a health food.  When consumed with water, it can aid weight loss & help detoxify the body.  When consumed by itself, it is a really good digestive aide.  Long term consumption of apple cider vinegar can lower high cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, & some even say it can relieve seasonal allergy symptoms.

As skin care ingredients...
The texture of oatmeal makes it a great exfoliant.  The saponin in oatmeal naturally cleanses pore while the protein & polysaccharides moisturize the skin.  Additionally, the Avenanthramide in oatmeal helps reduce skin inflammation.  Honey has natural antimicrobial properties which makes it great for fighting acne.  There are plenty of antioxidants in honey (especially darker ones) which makes it great for anti-aging.  Finally, the thick, sticky consistency of honey helps draw in and holds moisture in the skin.  Apple cider vinegar, being an acid, is a natural astringent that can help reduce acne & skin redness.  Also because it is an acid, apple cider vinegar can regulate the skin's pH (which is normally slightly acidic) to make it feel supple & look radiant.

I have been using the more gentle version of the scrub everyday for the last 5 days and my bumps are almost all gone.  I don't think it is all because of the scrub but it did help with the itchiness & the burning sensation.  Also, it didn't leave my skin feeling super dry & tight like it had felt when the bumps first appeared.  I don't know if the scrub has done a good job in terms of exfoliating my skin - it feels soft but not like "baby's bottom" soft - but I will probably have an answer when I go see my esthetician next week.

For $8, I can buy all 3 of these ingredients enough to make this natural facial scrub for @ least a year.  For the same amount of money, I can buy half a tube of the Body Shop facial scrub that I have been using & that would last about 4 months.  You do the math.

Quick & Easy - Island BBQ Macaroni Salad

I recently discovered Hawaiian BBQ.  Well, I have known of it for a long time but I hadn't had the chance to try it until late last year.  Once I had my first Loco Moco, I was hooked...on the macaroni salad.  This dish is possibly one of the simplest things ever - it's pasta mixed with mayo; maybe with a little bit of shredded vegetables.  I know it is nothing special but for some reason I really like eating it, especially when I mix it together with the rice.

As much as I like Hawaiian BBQ, I don't like to get it very often because (1) there isn't a L&L or Ohno close by & (2) it's kind of overpriced for what it really is.  So to satisfy my craving, I have been attempting to do "Island BBQ" nights @ home.  It took a long time but I finally found a recipe on how to make the macaroni salad.  I probably could have done it by instinct but I can't risk messing up my favorite thing about the whole dinner plate.

It is really quite simple...
     2 cups of macaroni (aka elbow pasta)
     0.5 cups shredded carrots
     0.75 cup of mayonnaise
     Salt & pepper to taste

Really...
     Cook macaroni for 1 minute longer than package instructions
     Drain the macaroni and let it sit in the colander for 10 minutes to drain & cool
     Stir in the shredded carrots
     Add in the mayonnaise & mix until well coated
     Season with salt & pepper
     Eat warm or refrigerate until cold

Makes 3 cups

It turned out pretty well.  By cooking the macaroni for a little bit longer, the pasta was a little bit fluffier & starchier which made the salad bind together a bit more.  The original recipe that I got said to add some really finely grated onion into the mix but I found that too overpowering and bitter so I left it out.  Instead of using store bought mayo, I made one by hand so it was a little bit healthier, it didn't have all the preservatives, & the thinner consistency meant I got to use less dressing to coat the whole salad.  The overall effect was different from what I'd get @ a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant but it hit the spot.  I served it with a bit of white rice & teriyaki marinated chicken breast to complete the meal.

To make 1 cup of mayonnaise, combine 1 egg yolk, a pinch of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 tablespoon vinegar, 0.5 tablespoon lemon juice, & 0.5 teaspoon mustard in a bowl.  Slowly whip in 0.75 cup of neutral oil (i.e. canola) beginning with drops & then in a slow stream.  Keep in mind, when whipped by hand, the mayo won't come out as stiff as jarred mayonnaise.  You could also pour in the oil with the rest of the ingredients & whip using an immersion (stick) blender, that will give a final product that had much more body & more resembles store bought mayo.

Quick & Easy - Faux Garlic Mash

We have been using our menu planner  for a couple of months now & usually I'm pretty good about sticking to it & having all the ingredients ready ahead of time.  But for the last week or so I have been kind of off my game in the meal planning department.  Actually, I was so bad I read the wrong line of the calendar & made salmon (on the menu the week before) instead of tuna casserole.

Anyway, I was making lamb for dinner a few nights ago & as I was putting the baggie of lamb + marinade into the fridge I noticed that I didn't have any starch or vegetables to go with the meat.  All I had in the crisper drawer were a couple of really old lemons, a few really old limes, & half a head of leftover cauliflower.  I didn't want to go out to get new produce since it was closing in on 5pm but we had cauliflower not too longer ago & Russell isn't exactly a fan of it.  Alas, I must work with what I had...but there has to be some way to jazz it up.

I had been reading a lot about new ways to use cauliflower so I thought I would give it a try.  A quick few minutes on Google & I was ready & armed with a highly rated recipe from Food Network.

The ingredients list seems much shorter than for real mashed potatoes...
     0.5 head cauliflower, cut into medium-sized chunks
     0.1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
     2 cloves garlic, peeled
     1 tablespoon unsalted butter
     Salt & pepper

And the directions seem that way too...
     Boil the cauliflower chunks until they are soft (~6 minutes)
     Drain the cauliflower & pat the chunks dry while still hot
     In the food processor, combine cauliflower, cheese, garlic, & butter; blend until almost smooth
     Season with salt & black pepper to taste

Makes 2 cups

I had Russell taste the mash for seasoning & he could not tell it was not potato.  In the middle of dinner, I finally let him know he was not eating mashed potato.  He proceeded to guess a variety of vegetables but he could not believe it was cauliflower, even when I told him that's what it was.  The original recipe called for cream cheese which I didn't have so I used butter instead.  It did the job but I think the cream cheese would have made the mash a little bit thicker in texture & resemble slightly more like potatoes.  I did some rough calculations & this recipe comes out to approximately 112 Calories per serving while good 'ol homemade garlic mashed potatoes made with light cream is about 300 Calories per serving.  I am not saying I am going to completely give up my mashed potatoes but on days when I would like to indulge but really shouldn't, this comes in as a great option.

From the Oven - Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

You know that saying about how when there are too many coincidences it's no longer a coincidence?

Well it was a coincidence that:

1. I found a really interesting chocolate cake recipe on Pinterest that I was dying to try.
2. There is Baileys that's been sitting in my fridge for way too long.
3. Russell has a new food-related toy that I gave him for his birthday that he has yet to try out.
4. We need to get beer for the house.
5. St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner!

With all these coincidences in front of me, I had no other choice but to use them to my favor...& make them into not a coincidence.

I had to substitute a couple of the ingredients...
     4 ounces all-purpose flour
     0.6 teaspoon baking soda
     0.25 teaspoon salt
     1.5 ounces all natural cocoa
     5 ounces sugar
     0.5 cup hot chocolate
     4 ounces butter
     0.75 cup Guinness
     1 egg
     0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then it's melt, dump, & stir...
     In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, & salt
     In a pot, heat the cocoa, butter, sugar, & hot chocolate until the butter is melted; cook for 10 minutes
     To the chocolate mixture add in the Baileys, whisk in the egg, & then add in the vanilla
     Slowly sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix everything together until well incorporated
     Pour the batter into a cupcake tin already lined with wrappers
     Bake at 320F for 30 minutes
     Remove cupcakes & put them on a wire rack until they are cooled completely

Makes 12 cupcakes

Theses cupcakes are so good!  I honestly think these are the best things I've ever made out of an oven.  The cupcakes were moist, chocolatey, not too sweet, & end with just a hint of bitterness from the Guinness.  I think the flavors would have been much more balanced if I had used coffee instead of hot chocolate but I didn't have any coffee in the house.  Never did I envision a day when there would be no coffee in my house.  Ugh!  To complete the cupcakes I topped them with a Baileys whipped cream.  I must admit that I didn't make the whipped cream; nor was it made using conventional methods.  The truth is, Russell made the topping by combining heavy whipping cream & Baileys in his fancy siphon food whipper & then aerosolized it by adding in nitrous oxide (N₂O).  The whipped cream tasted really strong so I might do a café au lait frosting next time instead.

I wasn't sure what to these cupcakes because someone once told me that Irish car bomb is an offense name.  S/he didn't tell me why & I never figured it out; I still haven't figured it out.  Also, I didn't think this was truly really an Irish car bomb since it lacked the Jameson whiskey.  I want to try & include the whiskey into the recipe next time to accurately represent the drink I've named it after.  Maybe I should half the coffee & replace it with the Jameson.  Or Maybe I should just go with all Jameson!

From the Oven - Fluffy Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since I got a Pinterest account months ago, I have been seeing this one pin for fluffy & chewy chocolate chip cookies repeatedly.  Since I was in the mood to make some CCCs & didn't want to make our usual America's Test Kitchen recipe - too labor intensive - I thought I would give this popular recipe a try.

They say the trick lies with the cornstarch...
     0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
     0.75 cup light brown sugar
     0.25 cup granulated sugar
     1 egg
     2 teaspoons vanilla extract
     2 cups all-purpose flour
     2 teaspoons cornstarch
     1 teaspoon baking soda
     0.25 teaspoon salt
     1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Just dump, stir, & scoop...
     In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter & both sugars until really light & fluffy
     Add in the egg & vanilla extract & blend
     Add in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, & salt into the mixture; mix everything together gently
     Mix in the chocolate chips
     Scoop the dough with a tablespoon & place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
     Bake at 350F for 10 minutes

Makes about 30 cookies

I have made these cookies twice & they turned out good both times.  The first time, I used an electric mixer for all the steps & the cookie dough felt a little dry.  The cookies were fine but it was difficult to scoop.  The second time I made these, I only used an electric mixer to cream the butter & sugar & used a rubber spatula for the rest of the steps.  This time, the cookie dough was more pliable & it spread out a bit more in the oven.  These cookies are not meant to flatten out very much so if they do, it might mean the cookie dough was a little too warm before going into the oven.  Try refrigerating the dough for 20 minutes to firm everything up first.  Also, it helps to make sure that the butter is softened but not too soft.  When it comes to texture, these cookies delivered on the promise & were chewy & fluffy without feeling like it wasn't cooked all the way through.  In terms of flavor, these were nice & not too sweet.  Mine had a weird after taste to them that only I tasted (I asked Russell & my parents; they all said no) which I suspect might have to do with my really old corn starch & baking soda that has been sitting in my cupboard, exposed.  I wish things like baking soda, baking powder, & corn starch would come in resealable packages or come in much smaller quantities because it takes forever to go through one of those things!  But I digress...

I feel that I am @ a cross roads.  While I like these cookies for their texture, they lack that flavor that gets evoked in my mind when someone says "chocolate chip cookies."  Perhaps I will try to substitute cornstarch into my go to CCC recipe & see what happens.  But first I have to go get some new corn starch.

"Tortoise Tower" Chicken Pho

As you might have read in one of my previous posts, Russell turned (29+1) earlier this month & I wanted to make his birthday extra special by cooking him some delicious food.  Even though I am more Chinese - genetically & culturally - than he is, I had never heard of the Chinese tradition of eating chicken on one's birthday before I met the guy.  He told me that in the Taishan (Toi-San, 台山) dialect, the word for "chicken" sounds very similar to the word for "luck" so a person should eat chicken on his/her birthday in order to ensure good luck in the year to come.

I was originally planning on making surf-&-turf, but chicken is good...until...

Me: "So what kind of chicken do you want me to make?  Fried?  Chicken wings?"
Him: "How about chicken pho?"
Me: "You want to go to out for your birthday?"
Him: "No.  I want you to make it...from scratch."

Seriously?!?

I didn't hit the panic button just quite yet.  His mom had gotten me a cookbook for Christmas that was all about Vietnamese home cooking.  Lo & behold there is a recipe for chicken pho in there.  Phew.  But still, can I tackle making pho?

Watch out for the "trick ingredient"...
     1 chicken, about 3 pounds
     6 whole scallions
     1 2-inch piece of ginger, crushed
     1 tablespoon salt
     0.5 package thick vermicelli noodles
     6 cups homemade chicken stock*
     2 tablespoons fish sauce
     1 scallion, chopped
     0.25 cup cilantro, chopped

And it takes longer than one'd think...
     In a large pot, bring some water (~6 cups) to boil
     Add in the chicken, scallion, ginger, & salt.  Bring back to a boil for 20 minutes
     Remove the chicken & place it in an ice bath for 20 minutes
     Remove the chicken from the ice bath, pat it dry, remove the skin, & shred up the meat
     Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions
     Boil the chicken stock, seasoning with fish sauce to taste
     In a bowl, place the vermicelli noodles, the chicken meat, & then pour over with the hot broth
     Garnish with chopped scallion & cilantro

Makes 2 servings

What seemed complicated @ first turned out to be more time consuming than anything else.  The end result was not too shabby.  The noodles could have been cooked a little longer & the broth could have used a bit more salt, but that was about it.  The "trick ingredient" I mentioned above is the homemade chicken stock.  I actually went ahead & made one a day ahead & it took about 5.5 hours start to finish.  I think it's nice to have a homemade stock but it is by no means necessary in my opinion.  Actually, store-bought stocks are much more flavorful than the one I made.

So why am I calling my chicken pho "Tortoise Tower" chicken pho?  For those of you who live in or around San Francisco, you might know of a Vietnamese restaurant called Turtle Tower that is quite famous for its chicken pho.  As a matter of fact, it is the only place I get chicken pho.  Since I was trying to riff off Turtle Tower, I thought I should give my dish a cleaver name that involved a similar reptile.  If you want, you can read more about the real Turtle Tower chicken pho here.



* To make the chicken stock, roast 0.5 yellow onion & 1 3-inch piece of ginger at 350F for 1 hour.  Blanch 3 pounds of chicken scraps (i.e. neck, wings) in boiling water for 3 minutes & rinse.  Cut the roasted onion in half & the roasted ginger into coins.  In a large pot, bring to boil 8 quarts of water along with the chicken, onion, ginger, 0.75 tablespoon salt, & 0.75 tablespoon palm sugar.  Reduce heat to a simmer & let it go for 4 hours.  Remove any large solids & strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer.  Refrigerate or freeze in air tight containers.

Quick & Easy - Cinnamon'y Horchata

I love Mexican food.  If there is one kind of food that you will find me craving constantly, it's Mexican.  While I live close to many delicious & authentic Mexican restaurants, I don't really take advantage of them because I really don't enjoy getting flashed by some crazy guy as I come up the escalator from BART or hearing about how people got shot outside of a restaurant we ate @ a few days before.

While I can manage to put together some rendition of tacos & burritos in my own kitchen, something was missing...something that always made my meals felt complete when I eat out.  I didn't realize what that was until I thought back some of my favorite meals @ Mexican restaurants & remembered that I often got a horchata with my food!  The first time I had horchata was 2 or 3 years ago when I went on a road trip to San Diego with some girl friends from college.  I had no idea what it was but I liked that it was cinnamon'y & it was like milk that didn't come with the dreadful digestive repercussions.  Ever since that time, I have almost always paired my burritos with a horchata.

A few nights ago, it was tacos night @ my house & we usually just end up drinking soda - Mexican Coke for him, Diet Coke for me.  I thought I might shake things up a bit this time & went in search of a horchata recipe.  I had no idea how horchata is made so I just crossed my fingers that I would find something that's quick & easy.  In the end, I came across this recipe on Pinterest (where else?).

Thank goodness, it was quite simple...
     0.5 cup raw almonds
     0.3 cup white rice
     1.25 cups warm water
     1 cinnamon stick
     0.3 cups sugar
     1.5 cups water
     0.25 teaspoon vanilla extract
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

But it does take a while...
     Put almonds, rice, warm water, & cinnamon stick in a sealable container.  Refrigerate for 8-12 hours
     Remove the cinnamon stick & pour the almond/rice mixture into a blender; blend until smooth
     Add in sugar, water, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, & blend for 2-3 minutes more
     Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or cheese cloth into glasses

   




















Makes 2 cups

The end product tasted like a horchata but the texture was too watery.  I did some more research after dinner & found a few ways that might improve this recipe.  One - leave the almond/rice mixture on the counter instead of in the fridge over night.  Two - use cashews instead of almonds; the blogger of the original recipe uses cashews because they are creamier.  Three - use milk instead of water when blending.  The dash of ground cinnamon @ the end was my idea because I didn't think the cinnamon stick did much of anything.  Does anyone know of ways to get the most bang out of a cinnamon stick?  I have a really big bag of raw almonds in my cupboard that needs to be used so I am very likely to be making horchata again soon.  Hopefully, after incorporating these modifications, the next batch will be closer to what I get @ restaurants.

Special Occasion Pai Bao (排包) French Toast

The Boyfriend turned 30...I mean 29...again...this year.  Since I work from home now & have the time, I thought I would make him a nice breakfast to enjoy as he opened his presents.  I didn't come up with the idea until the night before his birthday so naturally, I didn't have many options in terms of ingredients to choose from.  Luckily, my parents had stopped by a few days earlier for my birthday & they brought me some Pai Bao (排包).  After a quick rummage around my brain & the fridge...French toast it is!

What is Pai Bao?  It is a sweet bread with lots of eggs & butter that is really common in bakeries across Hong Kong.  Think of it as Hong Kong-style Brioche.  As far as I know, Pai Bao gets its name from its row-like formation and in Cantonese, the noun form of the word 排 is "to be in a row".

I had the idea & I had - I think - the ingredients; but how are French toasts made exactly?  I did a bit of Googling &  Mr. Alton Brown popped up with a 5-star recipe (from 500+ reviews).  As a long time fan of Good Eats, this is the recipe for me.

I had almost everything in the list...
     0.5 cup half-and-half
     1 egg + 1 yolk
     1 tablespoon agave nectar
     1/8 teaspoon salt
     4 slices of Pai Bao, about 0.5 inch thick
     2 tablespoons butter

Who knew you'd need an oven to make French toast...
     In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, agave, & salt
     Soak the bread in the custard for about 30 seconds per side, set aside on a wire rack over a sheet tray
     Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat
     Place 2 slices of bread into the pan & cook them until golden brown; about 2 minutes per side
     Place the bread on the wire rack & place into a 375F oven for 5 minutes
     Repeat the previous 2 steps with the other 2 slices of bread.
     Serve the toasts hot with maple syrup, fruits, whipped cream, and/or powdered sugar

Make 2 servings

I thought about waiting until all 4 slices of bread were browned in the pan before sending them into the oven but then I thought better: the butter is going to soak into the bread as it sits there for the next 6 minutes and get gross.  Seriously, do it in batches.  I learned the hard way that when melting and cooking in butter, the key it to go low & slow.  I had the heat up to medium-high & the bread turned out so charred I had to throw a whole chunk of it away.  The French toasts in the picture turned out much better because I melted the butter slowly & removed the pan from heat when it bubbled too much.  I didn't have any half-and-half around so I substituted with 0.5 tablespoon butter & half a cup of milk.  The original recipe calls for day-old or stale bread.  I am not sure what the value is in that; maybe it will soak up more of the custard?  I thought the Pai Bao was a bit too soft but it might have to do with the fact that they are almost an inch thick.  The next time I make this - which won't be very soon because I don't know where to go to get really good Pai Bao - I am going to make a pocket, put some peanut butter & grape jelly inside, & make it a PB&J French toast sandwich.

From the Oven - Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

About a month ago I made mini cinnamon sugar coffee cakes that were tasty but were dry.  I wasn't sure if it was the recipe or the super powerful motor of my Ninja food processor that made them that way, so I found this similar recipe on Baked Perfection to could see if the results would be any different.  Another way I could have done this was use the same recipe but make it without using the Ninja...but where is the fun in that?

Pretty similar ingredients with a few extra things...
     2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute with 1 cup of whole wheat flour)
     1 tablespoon baking powder
     0.5 tablespoon baking soda
     2 eggs
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
     0.67 cup brown sugar
     4 tablespoons oil (I used grape seed oil)
     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   For the topping:
     4 tablespoons butter
     0.25 cup granulated sugar
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

And let the experiment begin...
     In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon
     In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, & vanilla
     Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix just until everything is moistened
     Divide the batter into a greased muffin pan & bake @ 400F for 12-15 minutes
     Melt the butter over low heat & mix the sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl
     When the muffins are still hot, dip them into the melted butter & then into the cinnamon sugar

Makes 12 muffins

I ended up messing up the experiment because I didn't use the Ninja for the entire process; I only used it to mix together the wet ingredients.  Anyhow, these muffins were much fluffier than the other recipe & they were very buttery.  I am going to stick with this recipe & repeat this experiment again; this time really using the Ninja all the way through.  Stay tuned.

From the Oven - Vegetables Pizza with Homemade Pesto

We try to do @ least 1 vegetarian dinner per week but it almost always ends up being some kind of pasta.  To change it up a little bit, I went with a pizza for this week's meatless night.  But I make pizza quite a bit & I don't want to use the same old toppings...what now?  Just as I was scratching my head over this question, a voice spoke to me & said "What about zucchini & tomato?  And some onion?"  No, I wasn't going crazy & hearing things in my head; it was Russell talking.  Zucchini & tomato, huh?  Sounds Mediterranean.  How about a homemade pesto instead of a tomato sauce? Maybe use feta instead of mozzarella?  Oh wait...Russell doesn't eat feta, blurgh!

Never have I done so much for a pizza...
   For the pesto:
     2 cups basil leaves, packed
     3 cloves garlic
     0.25 cup pine nuts
     0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
     0.5 cup pecorino romano, grated
     Salt & pepper to taste
   For the pizza:
     1 package prepared pizza dough
     2 roma tomatoes, sliced
     1 medium zucchini, sliced
     1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
     0.75 cup shredded mozzarella
      0.25 cup pecorino romano, grated

But @ least it wasn't too complicated...
     In a food processor, chop up the basil leaves
     Add in the garlic, pine nuts, & half the olive oil; blend until it turns into a paste
     Add in the rest of the oil, season with salt & pepper, & blend until smooth
     Mix in the cheese & set aside
     Sauté the onion over medium-low heat until soft; then sauté the zucchini slices until they are soft
     Roll out the pizza dough & spread the pesto evenly on top, keeping away form the edges
     Sprinkle mozzarella over the pesto & lay down the tomato & zucchini slices
     Spread the caramelized onion on top & grate pecorino romano all over
     Bake at 450F for 10 minutes

Makes 1 cup of pesto & 1 10-inch pizza

I stretched the dough out too thin in the middle so it kind of made a mess.  I can never get this part right because when the middle is the right thickness, the edges are too thick.  And when the edges are the right thickness, the middle has hole.  Ugh!  I also used way too much olive oil for my pesto (0.67 cup - what the recipe called for) & completely forgot to mix it with the pecorino cheese.  As a result, the pizza got a bit soggy & the excess oil spilled out of my cookie sheet & dripped down to the bottom of my oven.  Smoke alert!  Alas, the flavors of the pesto was fresh & had a good kick from the garlic.  The pizza was delicious & the sweetness of the onion & zucchini held up nicely against the tartness of the tomato & the sharpness of the pecorino.  I know I talked about not wanting a pizza stone in my previous post(s) but I think I need one if my crusts are always turning out undercooked & not crisp.  Is there any way I can get around this giant slab of stone situation??

Quick & Easy - Chinese-style Steamed Hake

If you are Chinese or if you have been to any banquet-style Chinese dinners, you probably have seen this dish: a fish sitting on a plate, under some green stuff,  over some soy sauce & oil, & it still had its head, tail, fins, & skin all in tact.  This was - & still is - one of my favorite ways of eating fish.  When I was a kid, my dad would scrape off the skin & portion out a perfect filet along the "back" half of the fish & put it in my bowl.  I would also always get both of the cheeks...@ least I would when we were eating @ home.  Now that I have moved out on my own, the opportunity to have steamed fish is rare.  And even though it is a pretty easy dish to make, I couldn't possibly finish a whole fish by myself...ourselves.  There has got to be a different way, right?

I was getting ready to make dinner one night - pan-seared Hake filets with salt & pepper - when it came to me.  Why not steam the filets as if it was a whole fish?  I mean, filet  is just fish minus the bones & stuff.  With the sudden inspiration & a really strong craving for steamed fish, I went to work.

It only takes a few essential ingredients from the fridge/cupboard...
     6 ounces Hake filet (or any other meaty white fish)
     3 tablespoons green onion, cut finely on the bias
     3 tablespoons ginger, cut into thin strips
     0.25 cup low sodium soy sauce
     0.5 tablespoon sugar
     0.25 cup canola oil

It's practically set it & forget it...
     Remove as much moisture from the fish filets as possible
     Place the filets into a heat-proof dish & sprinkle the green onion & ginger evenly over the top
     Steam the filets for 7 minutes or until the meat flakes apart easily
     Heat the soy sauce & dissolve the sugar in it
     Heat the canola oil in a pan for about 2 minutes
     Once the fish is done, carefully drain the liquid from the dish
     Pour the hot oil and then the soy sauce over the fish

   






















Makes 3 servings

The end result was a little bit overcooked (I did 10 minutes) but the flavor was just as I remember it.  I put sugar in the soy sauce was because (1) that's how my Mama does it & (2) it cuts down the sourness that soy sauce can have after it has been heated.  I know most people also put cilantro on the fish but I didn't have any & I absolutely detest cilantro (unless it's in something);  but in all honesty, I didn't think it made the dish "worse off".  When drizzling the hot oil over the fish, it is going to create some sizzle but that's totally normal; just stay away from the splatter.  A little insider's tip: take some of the green onion, ginger, & a few big spoonfuls of the sauce & mix it thoroughly into a bowl of rice; that in itself is a whole other meal.

Quick & Easy - Apple Breakfast Smoothie

Happy 2013!  I wish everyone a fantastic year full of love, happiness, & - of course - delicious food!

I don't know when it became customary for me to make New Year's resolutions but it definitely didn't happen until a few years I moved to the US.  When I was still in school, my resolutions were almost always about how I would be more studious.  Then in the last 3 years, my resolutions shifted to how I would get healthier or how I would lose weight.  This year, I am making a different resolution: to take better care of myself.  This means physically, mentally, emotionally, nutritionally, & any other -ally that I can't think of right now.

To not only start off my year but also my day right, I am trying smoothies.  Yes, I know I'm a good number of years late to this game but I didn't have the motivation or the tools to even attempt to make this a regular thing so I never bothered.  Until now.  I didn't want to do the usual strawberries & banana smoothie so I did a bit of browsing and came across this recipe created by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak (Katy Perry, Megan Fox).  This drink only takes a few ingredients, is quick to make, & it is super nutritious.

Throw in your blender...
     1 apple
     1 banana
     0.5 cup low fat milk
     0.75 cup plain Greek yogurt
     5 raw almonds
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Give it a whirl...
    Blend at high speed until the desired consistency (~30 seconds)

Makes 1 serving

After having a few of these, I wanted to know just exactly how this concoction is healthy.  I did a little bit of digging & this is what I found:  Apples are high in fiber, vitamin C, & they have phytonutrients that can help regulate blood sugar.  Bananas are high in vitamin B6, potassium, & they are a great source of energy.  Milk has plenty of protein & calcium & it is great for bone health.  Greek yogurt has tons of protein & it helps boost digestive & immune system health.  Almonds are high in manganese, vitamin E, healthy fat, & magnesium which increases blood flow as well as the distribution of oxygen & nutrients throughout the body. Cinnamon slows down stomach emptying, thereby sustaining the sensation of fullness  & lessens the body's blood sugar spike.  One additional perk about cinnamon is that its smell can increase a person's cognitive function.

This recipe comes in @ about 382 calories.  It tastes a bit like an apple pie when I could ignore the taste of the banana coming through the background.  Even though I used my super high-powered Ninja blender, there was still little bits of almond.  This was good since it gave me something to chew & tricked my brain into thinking I was eating my breakfast instead of drinking it.  Even though it doesn't look very large in the photo, this drink is filling & can keep me happy from 8am to lunch without the need for a snack.  Here is to taking better care of myself & to making this into a part of daily life!

From the Oven - Mini Cinnamon Sugar Coffee Cakes

The Boyfriend got me a Ninja kitchen system for Christmas.  If you know, the Ninja is not just a blender & food processor but it can also be used to make cake batters & dough.  Even though the informercials look really impressive, I wanted to test out the machine for myself to see if it really delivers on what it promises.  It just so happened that I have an easy coffee cake recipe that I've been meaning to try.  What better time than to do it now?

These should all be in the pantry/fridge already...
     1.75 cups all-purpose flour
     1.5 teaspoons baking powder
     0.5 teaspoon salt
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     0.3 cup canola oil
     0.75 cup granulated sugar
     1 egg
     0.75 cup milk
     0.25 cup unsalted butter
     1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
     0.3 cup granulated sugar

It's as easy as 1-2-3...
     In a big bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon
     In another big bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, & milk until it looks homogeneous
     Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture; mix until the batter is smooth
     Grease a muffin pan really well using butter, oil, or cooking spray
     Grease up a spoon & scope batter into the muffin pan, filling up about half way
     Bake at 350F for 15 minutes
     While the muffins are still hot, remove them from the pan & put onto a wire rack
     Melt the butter in a pan over low heat or in the microwave & mix the cinnamon with the sugar
     Dip hot muffins into the  butter & roll them in the cinnamon sugar until they are evenly coated
     Place them on a wire rack & let them cool down completely

Makes 12 servings

The flavor is nice & slightly reminds me of an old-fashion donut.  The texture was a little doughier than I thought it would be but it might have to do with the fact that I over mixed the batter.  As a matter of fact, my dad took 1 bite and said "it's so dry!"  Well, thanks a lot Daddy.  When it comes to using the Ninja system to make the batter, it wasn't exactly easier than using a hand mixer but it was a lot faster since the machine is really powerful (without being too loud).  Unfortunately, I think the power may be a bad thing for a batter like this since it was really easy to overdo it.  The biggest negative I have of the Ninja is that it was kind of a pain to clean around the nooks & crannies.  I am going to attempt a similar recipe using the Ninja again to see if it comes out the same; and if it doesn't, then maybe the problem stemmed from the recipe after all & not the machine.

Weekend Dinner - Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups

A few months ago, I made lasagna with a homemade turkey meat sauce.  As a result of that recipe, I have had a box of semi-used lasagna noodles in my cupboard ever since.  To use up this box of noodles somehow, I started browsing the internet for recipes.  Turns out, there is this thing out there called lasagna roll-up which is like a regular lasagna but comes in self-contain packages.  Great, that's a good idea; but what fillings am I going to use?  The meat sauce last time was good but I do not want to make it again; I just scrubbed down my stove to return it to its original glory!  Besides, we've had so much meat this past week with Christmas.  So after some more browsing, I found a recipe that seems both tasty & easy to do.

To make 8 lasagna roll ups...
     2.5 cups mushrooms, diced small
     4 cloves garlic, minced
     6 ounces baby spinach, chopped
     8 lasagna noodles
     10 ounces whole milk ricotta
     1 egg
     0.2 cups grated Parmesan
     2 cups pre-made tomato pasta sauce
     1.5 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
     Salt & pepper to taste

This shouldn't take too long...
     Cook the lasagna noodles 1 minute less than the package instructions
     While the noodles are cooking, sauté vegetables until the water is released; season with salt/pepper
     In a bowl, combine together egg, ricotta, & parmesan cheese
     Lay cooked noodles on a flat surface & spread on a thin coat of the cheese mixture
     Top off each noodle with a layer of the vegetables & roll them up carefully
     Arrange the lasagna rolls in a single layer in a shallow baking dish
     Cover the lasagna rolls with a coating of tomato sauce & sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
     Bake at 350F for 25 minutes

The end product was pretty good & it took a lot less time in the oven than a traditional lasagna.  It was was also definitely much easier serving out the individual roll-ups than trying to cut out rectangular pieces.  I used the Trader Joe's tomato basil marinara sauce & it was too sweet for my liking.  Are all pre-made tomato sauces so sweet?  I bought a block of mozzarella & tried to grate it with my Microplane but I guess it was too soft a cheese to grate.  It worked, but it took a lot longer & a lot more work to get just enough cheese to cover the top.  From now on, I am either going to use a box grater or buy shredded mozzarella & call it a day.