Fluffy Banana Waffles

In case fluffy, crisp banana waffles weren't enough... I speckled them with chocolate chips, and topped them with sweet maple syrup, fresh bananas, and chocolate covered almond with coarse sea salt.  I'd call that a good morning.

Lightened Up Dark Chocolate Crème Brülée

This year for Christmas, my sister-in-law gave E and I a kitchen torch.  It is pretty much the greatest thing ever.  I come up with every excuse possible to torch something, from deeming the pineapple on my pizza not caramelized enough, to addressing the unmelted corners of cheese on burgers.  If you don't have a kitchen torch, you should probably go get one.  Stat.  And start torching things.  Immediately.  

My first order of torch business was a traditional crème brülée, because isn't that what one makes with a torch?  Well it was wonderful, but when the primary ingredients are heavy cream and egg yolks, it's not something I will be making often.  Sorry E.  I then stumbled upon this lovely recipe-- dark chocolate crème brülée without any heavy cream.  I'll be honest, it is not as luxuriously creamy as traditional crème brülée and the chocolate formed a bit of a separated layer on top, but it was good enough I'd make it again.  Plus, how can you dislike crème brülée you don't have to feel terribly guilty about?

Vegetable Fried Rice

• 3 cups already cooked rice
• 1/2 Tbs vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs Soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp roasted red chili paste
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups diced veggies (I like carrots, bell peppers, green peas, and water chestnuts)

1. Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Scramble egg, add to pan, and cook until no longer wet.  Set aside in a bowl.
2. Heat vegetable oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add your choice of vegetables (minus frozen peas if you're using them) and saute until 3-4 minutes, until cooked but still crisp.
4. Add garlic, 1 Tbs soy sauce, and chili paste.  Stir until chili paste is incorporated
   
5. Add rice and additional soy sauce. Stir fry until rice become a shade of brown.
6. Add the cooked egg and green peas.

Notes:

• Meat or tofu can be added. I recommend using already cooked beef, shrimp, or chicken, or browning the tofu separate. Add the meat with the egg and peas.
• The amount of soy sauce is completely up to you. My soy sauce is aged to salty ridiculousness so I usually use less than 2 Tbs.  If you like it strong, use more than 2 Tbs.

Miso Egg Drop Soup

In celebration of the first day of summer I made soup... Logical, I know.  Maybe in celebration of July I'll make ice cream or something that is actually seasonally appropriate.  For now, I'm making a salty, satisfying vegetarian egg drop soup recipe.  Happy summer folks.

Coconut French Toast with Mango Sauce

Alas, I feel like I have been neglecting my dear little blog.  With moving, working full-time again, and being separated from my kitchen, I just haven't cooked as much as usual.  When I do cook, it is to quell my hunger, and half of whatever I made is usually gone before the thought to photograph it crosses my mind.  Not to mention, while I do make a killer sandwich... sandwiches aren't particularly bloggable.  (Yes, bloggable is an adjective, thank you) And I have been eating a lot of sandwiches lately...  As a result, I simply haven't had a lot to blog.  Then, last week I threw this recipe together for breakfast when my dear sir was in town.  It was tasty and easy, finally bloggable. Using coconut milk makes the french toast rich and delicious, while adding a naturally satisfying sweetness.  And let's face it, fruit sauce makes anything better.  Plus, the coconut milk added to the sauce reduces down to to be divinely creamy.  I would eat the sauce alone with a spoon and be satisfied, but french toast tastes much better than a spoon :)

The Eli Cookie: Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Anyone watch the Bachelorette?  I cringe with embarrassment to admit that I occasionally catch an episode, but I do.  Usually, I think the show is utterly ridiculous, and I laugh the whole way through, but this last episode, Emily totally stole one of my dating techniques!  Cookie making!  I make killer chocolate chip cookies. So, once a guy has tried them and gotten hooked, I (if interested) casually invite him to make cookies with me if he wants the recipe.  Then, I can evaluate if he is kitchen-competent, able to follow instruction, and simply if he's fun to be with.  It's a perfect scenario.  Except then a certain boy came along, experienced my chocolate chip cookies, and instead of deciding they were the greatest cookie ever and wanting the recipe, he brought up these cookies his mom used to make.  And what did I do?  Get offended  I made those cookies for him.  ALL BY MYSELF.  I now coin them "The Eli Cookie", because never before have I baked a boy one of his family recipes.  I knew there was something different about this boy.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Cookie" and "Chocolate"are two of my most frequently used labels... I clearly enjoy both.  The combination of the two is even better, especially if you use four varieties of chocolate chips, in ridiculous quantities.

I made the mistake of using a recipe that yields 60 to make only 30 or so, so each one of my cookies was a meal--an intoxicatingly chocolate, decadent, rich, delicious meal, best accompanied by a glass of [almond] milk.   

Mini Chocolate Donuts with Maple Glaze... and Bacon

There is a reason I set myself a curfew in the kitchen: No baking past 8:00pm.  These donuts are what happens when I break curfew.  Since just making donuts wasn't bad enough, I had to coat them in finger-licking good maple glaze... and top them off with bacon.  I nearly resorted to licking the drips of glaze off the counter (granted I may also occasionally eat marshmallow fluff by the spoonful so maybe I'm a bad measure of irresistability).  But in all seriousness, these little calorie bombs are tasty--the sweet maple and salty bacon unite dynamically, all atop a mini chocolate donut.  Perfection.

Oh yeah, and did I mention you get to cheat and use a cake mix? Mhmmmm!

Spicy Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise (Homemade reccommended)
• 2 Tbs gochujang (korean red pepper paste)

 Mix ingredients thoroughly.

This stuff is delicious on sandwiches, as fry sauce, or to spice up a standard cole slaw.

Yields a generous 1/2 cup.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Aside from Ketchup and Barbeque sauce, I basically despise condiments.  I find mustard unappealing, and mayonnaise practically repulses me.  Seriously, egg salad, potato salad, and cole slaw- basically the staples found at every picnic and potluck- kind of make my skin crawl.  I have had a life of discarding half of my sandwich because the waiter didn't hear my clear qualification of "NO MAYONNAISE".  It's a pathetic existence.  This inexplicable hatred was quelled this weekend however, when I made Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.  All the recipes called for mayonnaise, but I couldn't bring myself to allow my dinner guests to spread that nasty goo on such perfectly good sandwiches.  The thought of it was almost insulting, so instead of giving them a jar of hydrogenated oil, soy lecithin, and preservatives, I decided to make my own.  And- It. Was. Good.  Call Channel Five News, folks, this hater has been converted.  Not only was it good- but super entertaining to watch.  I think I'll give mayonnaise for Christmas this year, just so I can make a ton of batches and observe the magic unfold, over and over.

Chocolate Ginger Mousse with Orange Whipped Cream

I'm pretty sure "chocolate" is one of my most used labels... by a lot.  But really, who doesn't love a good chocolate recipe?  Chocolate plays so well with others, I can't help that I resort back to it as soon as I need to whip up a 'fancy' dessert.  In this instance the bitter dark chocolate harmonizes perfectly with the warm, spicy ginger, creating a uniquely satisfying mousse.  Dollop on some orange whipped cream, and this simple concoction screams gourmet.  It's awesome.  And who doesn't need another chocolate recipe in their repertoire?  I know I do- especially one that takes only 3 ingredients.  Sign me up.

Crunchy Ginger Snaps

[Insert witty introduction]

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/3 cup raw sugar (optional) 

Mini Pumpkin Spiced Donuts

I'm pretty sure the words "Mini", "Pumpkin", and "Donut" speak for themselves, but in case they don't I always have something to say: Make these.

I saw this recipe on Blue Eyed Bakers and instantly decided I needed a mini donut pan.  Totally worth it.  Not to mention, I can now make donut (doughnut?) shaped meatloaf, which is hypothetically one of the grossest things I've ever thought of.  I'll let you know when it actually happens.  Anyhow, onto something far more appetizing...

How to Fry an Egg

Don't you hate when you jack up something so seemingly simple as frying an egg?  Yet somehow, flipping the stubborn thing proves substantially more complicated than such a mundane task should be.  If you actually manage to get the spatula under the egg without breaking the white, you then manage to flip with too much enthusiasm and splat the yolk upon impact.  Life is tough.

So... maybe this trick common knowledge, but it was earth-shatteringly life-changing when I discovered it.  You don't have to flip you eggs.  You heard me! All that devastating drama: futile!!

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis

Alas, I have neglected my dear blog!  I have been cooking, but mostly sad variations of unphotogenic curries.  This semester has proved incredibly busy, but it's funny what a little Valentine's Day romance can motivate me to do :)

This dessert is shockingly simple- all of 5 ingredients for the mousse AND coulis.   I promise I would have made something more labor-intensive if Valentine's day didn't fall on a Tuesday, but seriously this looks pretty impressive considering!





Chocolate Mousse:

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 eggs, seperated

1. Melt the chocolate slowly in a double boiler, over simmering water.
2. Remove from heat and beat egg yolks into chocolate with electric mixer.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites to a stiff peak.
4. Stir a large spoonful of egg whites into chocolate mixture to loosen.
5. Then gently fold remaining egg whites into chocolate.
6. Pour into serving glasses and chill in refrigerator until set, 4 to 5 hours.
7. Will keep up to four days in refrigerator.**

Notes:

• This recipe is super simple to scale, simply use 1 egg and 1 oz of chocolate for each serving.
• I recommend using pasteurized eggs, if unavailable, do not serve to young children, pregnant women, or those with weak immune systems due to the eggs.
• **If you are not serving it the same day, I would recommend adding ~1/2 tsp cream of tartar to the egg whites in order to keep them from separating, which can occur if not eaten soon.
• To ensure success achieving stiff peaks I would recommend using a clean, glass bowl, room temperature egg whites, and ensure that NO egg yolk sneaks in!

Yields 4 servings.

Raspberry Coulis

• 1 pint Raspberries
• 1 1/2 Tbs sugar
• 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium until raspberries are broken down and sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, blend, and strain through chinois or a mesh sieve to eliminate seeds.  Chill then serve.


Note:

• Frozen raspberries can be used.

Yields 1 cup

If you really wanna get fancy add homemade whipped cream and shaved chocolate :)  Enjoy!

The heart on the plate I painted on with left over raspberry chocolate ganache- simply cut a shape in wax paper, and place on the plate.  Using a new, high-quality paintbrush use the melted ganache as paint and fill in the stencil!

Coconut Blackberry Tartlets

Juicy, ripe blackberries bursting with tart flavor harmonize perfectly with subtle coconut cream- and in one convenient bite.  All you need is an incredibly good looking man to feed them to you one by one.  And no need to even feel guilty about the situation, these babies are practically healthy*. 

"Tart" shells

• 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 4 egg whites

Coconut filling

• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 48 blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Gently whip egg whites in a bowl, and add shredded coconut.  Press a spoonful of coconut mixture into each well of a greased mini muffin tin.  
2. Bake tart shells for 9-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan whisk together 1 cup water, coconut milk, and sugar, and bring to a boil.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 1 cup water.
5. When the coconut milk is boiling, reduce to a simmer and slowly add in the cornstarch slurry whisking constantly.  Continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
6. Spoon or pipe the coconut filling into cooled tart shells, and place one blackberry on each tartlet.  Refrigerate for at least a half an hour.

Yields 48 tartlets.

**Absolutely no math involved... but there is no added butter or oil so in dessert world, that means healthy.

Mini Chocolate Coconut Tartlets

Don't you love bite-sized morsels that make you instantly feel classy upon eating?  Nothing like a petite tart loaded with chocolaty coconut goodness to up your country-club-o-meter.  And if the sudden urge to tie a Ralph Lauren sweater around your neck isn't your cup of tea, how about a seemingly gourmet dessert that takes all of 25 minutes to assemble?  I'm sold.

"Tart" shells

• 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 4 egg whites

Chocolate coconut filling

• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Gently whip egg whites in a bowl, and add shredded coconut.  Press a spoonful of coconut mixture into each well of a greased mini muffin tin.  
2. Bake tart shells for 9-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan whisk together 1 cup water, coconut milk, and sugar, and bring to a boil.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 1 cup water.
5. When the coconut milk is boiling, reduce to a simmer and slowly add in the cornstarch slurry whisking constantly.  Continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
6. In a glass bowl melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds.
7. Stir the chocolate and coconut mixture together, and spoon or pipe into cooled tart shells.  Refrigerate for at least a half an hour.

Notes:

• Whipped cream and grated chocolate add an additional tasty touch
• Milk can be subbed for the 1st cup of water added

Yields 48 mini tarts

Apricot-Pomegranate Ginger Spice cake with Yogurt Glaze

Longest title ever, for a really quick, deluxe-seeming cake.  

Shh!  It's not!

I cheated and utilized a box mix, because I was completely out of all purpose flour, and a wheat flour cake didn't sound particularly tasty...

Pomegranate Molasses

Cake

• 1 Yellow cake mix
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup water*
• 1/3 cup oil*
• 3 eggs*

Glaze

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling

• 1 /2 cup apricot preserves
• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  In a large bowl make cake mix according to directions, adding cinnamon, powdered ginger, and fresh ginger.  Split between two 9" pans, and bake approximately 32 minutes, or time directed by package directions.
2. In a lidded container combine yogurt, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Stir well, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Mix pomegranate molasses and apricot preserves in a small bowl, set aside.
4. When cake is finished baking, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.  Using a long knife, level the top of the cake, by slicing horizontally.  Fill with the fruit mix, and stack the two cakes.  
5. Starting at the center, pour on and spread out the yogurt glaze, allowing it to drip over the edges.  Drizzle with pomegranate molasses for a final touch :)
6. Refrigerate, and serve within a few hours- the yogurt quickly penetrates the cake.

Notes:

• The **ed ingredients are what was called for on MY cake mix box- use whatever your cake mix calls for.
• Pomegranate molasses can be found at most international markets, and many supermarkets stock it in the international section.  If you're one of those people that hates buying an ingredient just for ONE recipe, don't fear.  Pomegranate molasses is wonderful on vanilla ice cream, mixed into plain applesauce, or I can personally eat it by the spoonful....
• Fresh ginger can be stored in the freezer- leave it in root form and simply toss it in a ziplock bag.  When you're ready to use it, peel it with a paring knife and grate away.  (On the contrary if you are using room temperature ginger, peel it with a spoon- just try it!)

Yields 12 servings

Shrimp Pad Thai

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cane vinegar (white vinegar will do)*
• 1/4 cup fish sauce*
• 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate*
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles (thicker ones)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 eggs
• 2 carrots, juilenned
• 1 bell pepper, julienned
• 1 lb 51-60ct shrimp
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped peanuts
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Cilantro

1. For the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, blend sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, water and tamarind concentrate.
2.  In a seperate bowl soak rice noodles in cold water until soft- about 15 minutes; drain . In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, warm oil and add garlic and eggs; scramble the eggs. Add carrots and bell pepper and stir until well mixed;  add the shrimp, and noodles and stir until cooked.
3. Stir in Pad Thai sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in peanuts and paprika.
4. Serve with lime and bean sprouts on the side.  Garnish with cilantro. 

Notes:

• Fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, and cane vinegar can be found at the Asian grocery.
• If you don't want to bother with the above ingredients, some substitutions can be made: soy sauce for fish sauce, food processed lime juice and raisins for tamarind concentrate, and regular vinegar + 2 Tbs sugar to replace cane vinegar.
• Chicken or tofu are also tasty proteins to add.

Yields 8 servings

Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins

These tasty treats are pleasantly healthy- I like to smear on a bit of homemade peanut butter for an excellent breakfast on the go!

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups bran cereal
• 3/4 cup almond milk (or regular)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs unsweetened applesauce (or oil)
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

1. In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, mix together cereal and milk. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cereal is softened.
3. Stir in eggs and applesauce; beat well. Stir in bananas. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. (Mixture will be thick.)
4. Spoon batter into 12 large muffin tins, coated with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until browned and firm to the touch.

Notes:

• Chocolate chips make a lovely addition
• Beware of using paper liners, using applesauce instead of oil tends to make the muffin stickier
• I use my food processor- toss in the bananas, then eggs, and then moistened bran cereal and applesauce.  Then mix that mush with all the dry ingredients.

Yields 12 muffins