Kedgeree

This is one of my favorite (I need dinner now) dishes. It is a nice, warm delicious meal that only requires 1 pan, well maybe 2, cause you gotta poach the eggs. I can't believe that we have had this blog for over a year and haven't posted Kedgeree. There are many different variations to Kedgeree. But this is our take on it. Actually Chris taught me how to make this. It is so easy and I feel like it doesn't require any fancy ingredients.

Recipe
1 cup rice- basmati, jasmine or whatever you prefer.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup onion / scallions
1 cup frozen spinach or fresh
lemon juice- about half of a lemon
3 eggs
Smoked salmon 4-6ozs
seasoning - salt pepper to taste

We use a rice cooker, but you could easily do this in a pot. If you don't have a rice cooker, I would definitely think about getting one. I don't own many appliances, but this one is great and they are relatively cheap.



Put the rice in the cooker with the correct amount of water. Usually it is 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. add the butter, capers, onions, spinach- if using frozen. Let this cook until the rice cooker is done.

When the rice has about 10 minutes left you can start to poach the eggs. I have an egg poacher, so it makes it a little easier, but you could easily to this the old fashioned way. You want the eggs to be cooked on the outside but runny on the inside.


Once the eggs are done, hopefully the rice will be done as well.

add the eggs to the rice.

add the salmon, I use a kitchen scissors and cut it into pieces right into the pot. Pour the lemon juice on top and stir it all together. If using fresh spinach you can add it now. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You won't need much salt because you get a nice salty taste from the capers and the salmon.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cobbler

I never really think of pot pie as something that sounds delicious. The only thing that comes to mind are those gross frozen things that come in a tin. One night I wasn't feeling inspired to cook, until I saw an article from Mark Bittman on The New York Times and it was about chicken cobbler. I thought, that sounds good. I jumped off the couch and started cooking and to my surprise it was really good and it had that pot pie flavor, and it was a delicious one!

Recipe
Adapted from Mark Bittman's Chicken Cobbler
1 leek- chop and only use white and light green parts
1 shallot
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons thyme- fresh is best, but dry will work
2 carrots chopped
3 chicken thighs diced- you can use breasts as well
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup buttermilk- if you don't have any you can substitute milk with a little lemon juice added or even plain yogurt. I didn't have any so I did the lemon milk option and it turned out great.
1 egg

Heat oven to 400 degrees. I used my dutch oven so it was a 1 pot meal. If you don't have one, just use a high walled pan that is oven proof. Heat oil in the pan over medium heat, when the oil is hot add the leaks and shallots.



Leeks can burn pretty easily, so make sure your pan isn't too hot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until every thing is soft about 5 minutes.

Now you can add the chicken stock and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and add chicken and carrots. Cook for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add peas and corn, cook for about 1 minute or until all the veggies are nice and bright.

Now it is time to make a slurry, this is something that makes soups and stews thick. Get out a small bowl and spoon about 1 cup of broth from the pot into the bowl. Now add the cornstarch to this bowl. Mix this up really well. Use a small whisk or a fork. You want to make sure you get most of the lumps out. When creamy add it to the pot, stir it in really well. You will notice that everything gets nice and thick.

In a new bowl mix the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut up the butter into thin slices and place in the bowl. Use your hands to work it all together. It should resemble crumbles when you are done. Some people use a food processor, but it's not necessary. Once crumbly add in the buttermilk and egg. Mix very well. It will be very sticky and wet.

Take this mixture and drop it on top of the vegetables and chicken. With a spatula smooth it all over. It is alright to leave a little room around the edges.

Place in the over for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Tres Leches Cake

A few months ago we discovered Kristoffer's Bakery in Pilsen. They have the most delicious Tres Leches cake ever. Well, actually it was the first time I have ever had the cake, but it is delicious. Jen, Stacie and I are obsessed. For Jen's Birthday, I knew that I needed to make a Tres Leches cake. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it was so fabulous. If you have never had Tres Leches cake before, it is the most moist, soft and creamy cake ever!

Recipe
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
5 whole eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cups milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened, condensed milk
1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I wanted to make a round cake, but you can use a 9 x 13 pan as well. Make sure to liberally rub some butter all around the pan.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Now comes the fun part, separating the eggs. Get out 2 bowls, one for the whites and one for the yolks. I will show you how I do this.


Crack the egg in half and the pour the yolk back and forth between the 2 egg shells, keep doing this until all the egg whites are out of the shell. Simply pour the yolk into a separate bowl. Now you should have 1 bowl with the whites and another bowl with the yolks.

Beat the yolks with 3/4 cups sugar, until it is nice and creamy. Add in the milk and vanilla. Mix the egg yolk mixture with the flour mixture. Stir gently until combined.


Now it is time to beat the egg white. Beat them on high speed until they start to form soft peaks. Once you have soft peaks, add in 1/4 cup sugar and continue to mix until combined.


Now you are going to combine the egg whites with the other mixture. Fold the egg whites gently. You don't want them to lose their fluffiness.

Once it is all combined pour into your pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Mine only took 30 minutes. So check at 30, you want a knife to come out clean.

Let it cool and then flip onto a plate that has a lip.

In a small pitcher combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream.


Use a fork to put holes all around the cake. Now you can pour the milk slowly all over the cake. You will need to do this in batches. Let the milk soak in between pours.


Once you have all the milk poured in, let it sit for at least 30 minutes. You will see all of the milk get soaked up from the ridge of the plate. I let it sit over night in the fridge and then frosted it in the morning.

Now the best part, making the frosting.

Recipe
1 pint heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Pour the cream into a bowl, it helps to keep the cream cold right up till you are going to use it. I also run the bowl under cold water as well. Pour the cream into the bowl and mix on high for about 8 minutes. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Continue to mix until combined. You want the frosting to be really fluffy. Taste it and see if you need to add more sugar or vanilla.

Plop the frosting on and spread it around with a spatula.

The cake looked a little bare all white, so I added some cocoa powder to the white frosting and put some lettering on the cake. Not the most professional job, but I think Jen liked it!

Here is the birthday girl blowing out the candles. We went to Three Floyds Brewery, it was a lot of fun.

and of course you gotta see the inside...mmm it was so delicious!

Brussels Sprouts Salad

The other weekend we were running errands downtown and our stomachs were grumbling, so we popped into The Purple Pig, it is a new restaurant on Michigan ave. It was very warm and cozy. We had a beet salad, Brussels sprout salad and grilled cheese. and of course some wine. The restaurant had a great atmosphere and the food was delish! We especially liked the Brussels sprout salad, so of course we re created a version at home. I usually cook Brussels sprouts, so it was a nice option to cut them up for a salad.

Recipe
8 Brussels sprouts
1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Chop the Brussels sprouts into thin slices.

Grate up some cheese, my favorite tool for doing this is a Microplane. If I lived in Portland, I would only buy my cheese from Cheese Bar, but I don't...so sad.

Toss the Brussels sprouts with lemon, olive oil and cheese. Enjoy!

3 Bean Chili

Even though spring is here...well sort of, you still need a warm and cozy meal every once in awhile. It is also a pretty fast meal to make. I like to use a lot of different beans in my chili and I like it to have heat! Not so much that your eyes are watering, but just some nice good heat. Also, I think it is important to use good ground beef. I have become cautious about ground beef. You can ask your butcher to ground some for you, or try and buy local ground beef, then you know what is in it.

Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 jalapeno diced
1 lb ground beef
1 15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 box chopped tomatoes- I prefer the Pomi boxed tomatoes, so much better than canned.
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion, ground beef and jalapeno. Cook until onions are soft and ground beef is cooked through. Try to drain some of the fat from the pan.


Once it is cooked start adding the all beans, tomatoes and spices.


Mix well and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. And of course top with a little cheese!

Chocolate Glazed Whoopie Pies

I made these a while ago...I am a little behind on posting. I made them for Valentines day! They were so delicious. I really wish I had one right now! Before making these, I had never had the joy of eating one of these fine creations. They are like a mix between a cupcake and a cookie. I just love the way they look too.

Recipe for pies
adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder and salt.


Beat together the butter and sugar in a mixer. I think this is a very important part to baking. You want to make sure it gets nice and creamy. Once creamy you can add the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Mix this well. On low speed gently add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix this until it is all incorporated. The batter will resemble cake batter, it will be very wet.

Line a pan with parchment paper. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoon of batter onto the pan. Make sure to space the cookies out by about 2 inches. They will puff up in the baking process. Once you have the pan filled, place in the oven for about 8 minutes.


Now it's time to make the filling...yum yum.

Recipe for filling
1/2 cup and 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small heavy sauce pan combine 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring this to a boil. Cook this without stirring until a candy thermometer reaches 230 degrees.

While you are waiting for this to reach 230 degrees begin to beat the egg whites. You want to get nice fluffy peaks. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and mix until the egg whites are nice and soft.

Now you can gradually add the syrup mixture to the egg whites over medium speed. Mix this on medium for about 7 minutes. Then you can add the vanilla.

The frosting should look shiny and really fluffy.


Now you get to make fun little sandwiches. Add frosting to one half and top with another.

You could easily just eat them like this, but oh no! I went the extra step and glazed them with chocolate!

Recipe for ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat the cream over heat until it is almost boiling. Drop the chips into the cream and let sit for about 3 minutes. Gradually stir and soon you will have a nice smooth chocolate glaze. Pour over the Pies and let dry before serving. Ok, I think I need to go make more of these!

Best Baguette

I have tried a few bread recipes here and there. But this is the best by far. I love it. I feel like I could make it at least once a week. It's super easy as well. I don't know if I will ever buy bread again, unless it is from a fabulous bakery. I recently purchased a Kitchenaid mixer....oh do I love it!

Recipe
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 to 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Bread Flour- it is the best
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl combine the water with yeast and sugar. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes. It should be foamy on top. If it is not foamy then you need to start over. Once it is foamy add 2 cups of flour to the mixture. Mix it well. You can now place the bowl in your mixer or continue to mix by hand. Once the flour is combined slowly add in the remaining 2 cups of flour and the salt. I use the dough hook on my mixer and mix for about 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, simply add a little more flour.

Once it is all kneaded place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for about an hour and 1/2. If you have more time to let it rise then all the better.

After it has risen, punch the dough down and form into a long baguette. I have also split it in half and made 2 smaller baguettes. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I place my pizza stone in the oven at this time, if you don't have one you can simply bake on any baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

My new mixer!