recipe: baklava

i've been wanting to make this again for a while, and a lil holiday gathering today was the perfect excuse. it seems like a complicated dessert, but it's actually super-simple, just made out of a ton of tiny steps. it always comes out great... definitely on par with any restaurant/bakery-purchased version. i adapted the Baklava recipe from allrecipes.com, with a few tweaks to make it easier and with a touch less butter.

ingredients list:
- 1 (16 oz) package phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 lb mixed nuts, chopped & lightly toasted (plus more for garnish)
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup honey


to make: prep sauce first by boiling sugar and water until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring in the vanilla and honey and simmering for about 10 minutes. remove from heat, and once cool place in refrigerator to chill.

preheat oven to 325 degrees. grease the bottoms & sides of a 9x13 inch pan. toss nuts with cinnamon, and set aside. 


unroll phyllo dough, and cover with cling wrap so it doesn't dry out as you're working. place 2 sheets of the dough into the pan (the dough will be slightly longer than the length of the pan - just squish it so it fits - the wrinkles will make nice nooks & crannies that will help make a flaky crust). brush a thin coat of butter all over the dough, then repeat until you have 8 total sheets layered. sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of nut mixture on top. top with two sheets of dough, butter, and nuts, layering as you go until you run out of nuts and/or almost all of the phyllo. the top layer should be 6-8 dough sheets deep (WITHOUT butter on top layer, for now - it will be too hard to cut neatly if the butter is sticking).


using a sharp knife, cut into triangle or square shapes, cutting about 1/4 inch above the bottom of the pan (if you go all the way through, the sauce will seep to the bottom and make the bottom soggy). after cutting is complete, apply thin layer of butter to top. bake for 35-50 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp.


once removed from the oven, spoon the cold sauce over the hot baklava- it will crisp up nicely. sprinkle a dash of chopped nuts over top for garnish, and let cool before serving (leave it uncovered as it will get soggy covered).
***
once again, i love this. not much else to say... it's a perfect recipe. tastes just as good as bakery bought, which means a 9*********.

recipe: buffalo chicken pasta

i found this site, How Sweet Eats, through foodgawker.com and loved the idea of the Buffalo Chicken Pasta. it seemed like it could be way-delicious like a spicy mac & cheese, or just weird like pasta with hot sauce... luckily it turned out a bit more like the first. i'm including the ingredients list as i -wish- i had made it which was a serving size of 2-3 people with the SAME amount of sauce from the original recipe which serves 4-6 (it was still really good, just not as super creamy as i'd have liked it).

ingredients list:
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 1.5 cups of shredded/chopped chicken breast (i actually used leftover xmas turkey which worked just as well)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 4 oz monte jack cheese, grated + more for topping
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated + more for topping
- 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions


to make: preheat oven to 375 degrees. prepare pasta according to norm directions. while the pasta cooking, heat a medium saucepan to medium heat. add the butter, and once it's melted completely, add the flour. whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture is golden. add milk, stir, and turn down to low heat, continuing to stir until the milk thickens. add in the buffalo wing sauce and cheeses and continue stirring until mixture is smooth. season to taste with salt & pepper.


grease a 8" x 11" baking dish. add pasta, chicken, and cheese sauce and mix until everything is well combined. sprinkle with the extra grated cheese and panko. bake for 25 mins or until cheese is bubbly & golden. sprinkle with green onions and a few extra drizzles of buffalo wing sauce, and serve.
***
verdict... good! flavor was great (the green onion is key... had a nice zing to it), though it was not as creamy as i would have liked by making 1/2 the sauce recipe, that's just personal preference b/c the dish and the flavors were still v yum. the original recipe calls for a sprinkling of gorgonzola over top before serving... i wish i had that b/c it would be so perfect with it. popping it a 7*******.

d.p. brasserie

since kyle & i did xmas apart this year, last night we went out for a lil date night. we were going to try Taste, but it was closed so we headed to D.P. Brasserie which i've had been dying to try for a while... their menu is just yummy and fun, and everyday they post specials on Facebook, which for everyday has a new and ridiculously creative burgers special.

for drinks i had the Pop Rocks to start (stoli raz & O, ketel one citron, peach schnapps, oj, cranberry & pineapple juices, sour, all in a pop rock-rimmed glass). umm... YUMMM. as soon as i saw the pop rock-rimmed glass there was no ? i had to order it, but it was an added bonus that the drink was actually delish. second drink was the Pretty Woman which was champagne & fragoli with fresh strawberry.

we had an order of pot stickers which i enjoyed...nice char when they fried them (there were only 3, but that was actually a good thing since my din was going to be so big). mmm. their bread was little handmade hot pretzel bites/rolls... <3.

the burger special was curry crusted, with carmelized onion, gorgonzola, bacon aoili, and... i can't remember what else. the patty was gargantuon, but HOLY F probably the juiciest burger i ever had in my life. it was like biting into a water balloon. and cooked medium rare to perfection. i loved every single little bite of it. my one complaint was the bun... since the burger was so juicy the bottom bun couldn't really hold up to all of it... it was half bun, half squish by the time i got to the end of it. i kind of had fun making a big mess, but i could see if you're at the restaurant and wanting to pretend to be fancy you would have a little bit of a struggle. i'd give it 8.5********~, and really have to go back (need to try their DP burger with foi gras & truffles, and their asian influenced short ribs sound deviiiine).

recipe: lasagna

this lasagna recipe was the first i ever tried, and i have never attempted to find another it's so good (unless i'm doing a white lasagna, but that doesn't count : ) it's the World's Best Lasagna recipe from allrecipes.com. the key to it is the sauce, which is a great meat sauce on its own to just make. 

ingredients list:  

*Note: I recommend making this the day before baking and serving it... letting the flavors sit in the fridge and meld together gives it just a little extra oompf. just take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to baking to let it adjust, or you may have to bake longer. 

***
so once again, this was awesome. love it. my dads uncle is off the boat italian, and really enjoyed it... enough to say it restored his faith in the irish (sicilians... not so much... but the irish are redeemed. you're welcome, world). i don't have any thing i would change on it, other than my sh!tty job of cutting it. it's almost a guarantee if you make it, you will not regret it. mmm 9 ********. 

• - 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• - 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• - 1/2 cup onion, minced
• - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• - 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• - 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
• - 2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
• - 1/2 cup water or red wine
• - 2 tbsp white sugar
• - 1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
• - 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• - 1 tbsp salt
• - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• - 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• - 1 box lasagna noodles
• - 16 oz ricotta cheese
• - 1 egg
• - 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• - 1/2 tsp salt
• - 1.5 lbs mozzarella cheese, 1 lb sliced, 1/2 shredded
• - 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

to make*: brown sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. add to slow cooker along with crush tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, italian seasoning, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley. simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally (note: if i'm lazy, i'll skip browning the meat and just cook it over high heat for the first 1-2 hours).

in a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook lasagna noodles until -almost- done. drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.

to assemble, spread 1.5 cups of meat sauce in bottom of a 9x13 lasagna pan. arrange 5 noodles lengthwise over sauce. spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. top with half of the SLICED mozz cheese, and 1/4 cup parm cheese. repeat layer. on top of the second layer, add 5 more lasagna noodles, then top with meat sauce, the shredded mozz, and additional parm cheese. 

cover with foil, sprayed with cooking spray. when ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. bake for 30 minutes with foil, 30 minutes without. let cool about 15 minutes before serving. 

toro japanese & chinese restaurant

so it wouldn't be appropriate if our family didn't have a xmas eve tradition that wasn't odd. ours is chinese food. not cooking it, just going out for it. way back when we used to celebrate x-eve with my godfather & his wife who were both jewish, so to be non-denominational we would go asian. even after he passed away, it's still our thing. 

pardon the blue hue from the lighting...
but u get the idea

this year we went to Toro, Carmel NY, the closest option based on a few scheduling hurdles (my bad). 

for apps we had fried dumplings and beef negimaki was which was thin-sliced beef wrapped around scallions... that was awesome. the dumplings were kind of "eh"... i think they sat out for a little while the beef was prepared as they were a little cool. for din, i couldn't help myself but to order the only thai item on the menu, and got the Thai Coconut Curry Beef. it was nice & spicy... so spicy you couldn't taste a hint of coconut, but that was fine by me as a really enjoyed it. while the service at the restaurant was spotty (they were fairly attentive, but were a bit scattered). all in all i'd say my meal was a 6******. oh... and the appletini = very good. 

the case of the vanishing cupcake

... hint: it's in my tummy! 

mmm... courtesy of a good will elf that visited Zacharys Pastry Shoppe, Albany.

recipe: thai spicy chicken

i think Monday was the only night this week that i peeled myself away to from my desk to cook anything... i can't even remember 100% what i added here, just whatever thai-ish & spicy ingredients that seemed like they would play nicely (and an attempt at coconut sauce which didn't play out well). served with a pre-prepared coconut almond basmati rice (would be nice if i made it, but no time!). 

ingredients list:

- 4 chicken thighs, skins removed

sauce shout out!

- 2 tsp Sriracha sauce

- 2 tbsp Thai Chili Roasted Garlic Sauce (Central Market)

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 1 tbsp minced ginger

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1.5 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp tumeric

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

to make: place all ingredients in a small bowl except the chicken. mix in chicken, marinating for an hour+ if desired. preheat oven to 350 degrees, and cook for 45 min - 1 hour, until chicken is fully cooked through. serve!

***

this chicken had a ton of spice from the Sriracha - since it was a 5 minute throw together i was pleasantly surprised by it. i didn't let it marinate but the flavor was alllll up in it - YUM! what i had attempted for the sauce was simmering coconut milk with cumin & dried chilies... i ran out to the gym while the chicken was baking/sauce was simmering (kyle watched it, i'm not burning my house down)... but when i got back the sauce was super thin, not the magical cream sauce i was hoping for. i guess i didn't think that one through... nor did i have time to play with it. so it didn't become a spicy chicken + sweet cream sauce dish, but it was still yum (the sauce basically ran into the rice which worked out well for the rice). 6******.

the point

mmmmm, toinght was my 2nd visit to The Point, albany ny. i'm not a huge fan of ordering the same thing from the same restaurant, but their burger was SO bangin last time i had to do it again (i had previously put it in my top 3).

i started out with another True Blood martini (had to, it's sooo good (ruby red vod, muddled oranges & strawberries, pom liquor, portuguese desert wine, balsamic reduction rim)) and we split an order of the calamari which was yum. 


pardon the bad photo...phone camera doesn't
like to focus in dim light

i ordered the burger with cheddar, applewood bacon, medium rare, upgraded the fries to the black truffle fries, and got a side of the housemade gorgonzola dressing for dips. by the time i had my burger, i had a 2nd martini in hand, the Blueberry Basiltini (black cherry rum, basil simple syrup, white cranberries, muddled blueberries, basil leaf garnish... AAAAAAAAAAAAAH heaven).

by the time i was elbow-deep in the burger (which again... amazzzzzing prime rib patty which is ACTUALLY cooked to medium rare, soft glossy fresh baked  bun, great fixins even though u barely need them), the perfectly crisp earthy BT fries with the tangy creamy gorgonzola sauce and the muddled pulpy delicious martini i declared a complete and total burgorasm. EVERY part of my plate was heaven... all of my favorite things. usually it's great burger, forgetable fries, or great burger, but having a hum-drum drink. this is my heaven plate. i feel like i'm going to diiieee right now i'm so stuffed, but if i die tonight i'll be dying happy. 9 *********.

recipe: venison with bacon, onions & sherry cream sauce

i'm trying to be a bit more nible with using stufffff that's in my freezer (no old freezer toss-outs in 2012 is a goal). we had some venison that kyle's dad had from hunting, so it was time to tackle that this week. we had made it twice previously (we had a LOT), once a venison stroganoff (my first try at venison, really liked it), then just venison tenderloin cooked in onion (good, but a little too straight-up for my taste). this is kind of a marriage of the two:

ingredients list:
- 1-1.25 lbs venison
- 4 pieces bacon, cut into 1-2 inch strips
- 1 small onion, sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 cup sherry (+/-)
- 3 tbsp flour

to make: cook bacon & onion in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked to desired doneness & onions are nice golden brown. remove bacon & onions with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving grease. turn heat up to medium-high, and cook venision for about 3-4 minutes per side (we wanted ours cooked medium). remove meat to plate and set aside. add flour to grease and cook  for about 1 minute until the flour is fully absorbed and begins to turn golden. pour in sherry simmer over medium-low heat until sherry reduces down and sauce thickens. return venision, bacon & onions to pan and simmer over medium-low for 1-2 minutes(adding more sherry or beef broth if sauce becomes to thick). serve!
***
verdict:  not bad! i over-floured a bit, so i had to add a lot more broth/sherry to my mixture, but the flavor was good.  venison isn't something i could eat every day, but every now & again it's a nice change. if you're not huge on venison, bacon & onion are definitely a good pairing to it to tone down (or just match up to) the gamey flavor. maybe.... 5.5*****~?

recipe: naked chicken chili rellenos

i needed something to do with leftover chicken from sunday's beer can chicken, and have been eyeing the stash of poblanos in the grocery store. so... chili rellenos it is... just a quicker version (weeknight), and a more naked version (no batter & frying... for calorie & timing's sake). i'm sure there is nothing authentic about this, but here's how it went down:

ingredients list (for 2):
- 1 shallot, diced (or 1/4 cup onion, whatever you have)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1/2 cup shredded chicken
- 1/3 package cream cheese (2.6 oz if you want to be technical)
- 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, divided (i used the hot heat one)
- 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 oz of monteray jack cheese, cut into large chunks
- 1/3 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- olive oil

to make: rub poblano peppers in olive oil, and broil for about 10-15 minutes, until skin begins to char. while poblanos are roasting, sautee shallot & garlic over medium low heat until it starts to brown, then remove from heat.

when poblanos are done cooking (and cooled enough to handle), preheat oven to 250 degrees, and then cut a small strip out of the top length of each pepper (the charred skins can be removed if preferred). carefully cut out the stem and seeds from inside, rinsing it under water if need to get out all the seeds & guts. mix together the shallot/garlic, chicken, cream cheese, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, cilantro, and a touch of salt & pepper in a small bowl. stuff mixture into peppers, then add in the chunks of monteray jack cheese (i keep the chunks large so they melt down slowly).

pour 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into a small baking dish. add peppers do the dish, then top with the remaining enchilada sauce,
shredded mexican cheese, and bread crumbs. bake for 30 minutes until bubbly & toasty.
***
verdict: i had no anticipation for this since it was a relatively quick throw-together din,  but we really loved it. fried & battered rellenos would have been lovely, but i didn't really miss it. it was like having a giant jalapeno popper, which is a-OK by me. the peppers + hot enchilada saucy were spicy/spicy, so the mass amount of gooey cheese was peeerrrfect. there was enough to still ooze all over my rice which was an added bonus. 7 *******.

recipe: smashed red potatoes

we made beer can chicken for din tonight, with taters on the side. i was a little smitten from the Crispy Potatoes recipe i saw on whisked, and thought that would be a lovely yet easy side for them. 

ingredients list (for 3: 2 potatoes/person):
- 6 medium red potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for rubbin'
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- grated parmesan cheese

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. rub potatoes in olive oil, and poke holes all over on them with a fork. bake potatoes for 35 - 40 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork.  heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. add potatoes to skillet, then crush with the bottom of a bottle of wine or large glass. cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, until crispy, and sprinkle to taste with salt, pepper & grated parmesan cheese.
***
so... these were alright. i added bacon chipolte sea salt to ours (which is AMAZING on burgers), but it actually just made the potatoes taste funny. mine got a little crumbly, but i think if i used a smaller sized potatoe they might work better. not sure. all in all though, these are simple and are a good potatoe side without a lot of calories... easy. if i take away my salt error, i'd say they are a solid 6.5 ******~. 

consolidated list: albany, ny burger recos

after looking for an albany burger joint to test out yesterday, i realized all of my burger reco lists and notes are in different places... so. i now bring to you the full best-of-web burger recommendations for albany, ny. i'm trying to hit all of these, just a little ways away from completing the task. and when i do, it will be time to move : ) 

(all the places with a star i've hit. UPDATE 12/27/11: adding D.P. Brasserie, their burger is epic. also.. although Pump Station & Sutters are listed as top Albany recos, IMO they are the hit-or-miss ones on the list. UPDATE 8/21/12: added Druthers, which is one of the top 5 local burgers IMO. UPDATE 9/27/12: adding Creo. Pat LaFrieda burger patties, cooked fabulously in Alb. HELL YES. UPDATE 3/4/13: adding Capital City Gastropub)


 Burger Centric 
*Capital City Gastropub (8/10)
*Chez Mike (5.5/10 try 1; 7.5/10 try 2)
*Creo (8/10)
*Circus Cafe (Saratoga) (7/10)
*D.P. Brasserie (7.5/10)
*Druthers Brewing Co (Saratoga)(8/10)
 Graney's
*Jack's Drive-In (Wynantskill) (6.5/10)
*Juicy Burger (9/10)
*Juniors (6.5/10)
 Indian Ladder Farms (not technically in Albany, but close)
*New World Bistro Bar (8/10)
*Nighhawk's Kitchen (7/10)
*The Point (this is not on Albany reco lists, but it's one of my top picks) (9/10)
*Pump Station (6/10)
*Shake Shack (Saratoga) (7.5/10)
*Spill'n The Beans (8/10)
*Standard (also not on Albany reco lists, but one of my picks) (7/10)
*Sutters (6/10)
*Wine-n-Diner (6/10)

sutter's mill & mining co.

last night i needed to get out of the house... kyle wasn't up for a fancy pants dinner, i was up for anything... seemed like a good night to test out a new burger joint. i've been slowly chipping away at all of the albany best-burger recommendations. sutter's is a casual sports bar type place that's known for great burgers and wings (been bustin them out since 1973). casual enough where i could wear the very cupcake tee shirt i was already in. bingo! 

we started with 10 of the medium-heat wings... they were really big, juicy, and the sauce was great. not very hot, but great flavor. mmmmm. for burgers, we decided to do the 2 burger split. we both wanted the (i forget the exact name) burger with horseradish sauce & bacon, and added sauteed onions. second we were torn between two, but ended up with the french country burger which had a french country mushroom sauce and cracked peppercorns.

i started with the french country... it was not cooked medium rare as requested, but was still very tasty. i was expecting the mushroom sauce to taste like a mushroom reduction sauce (just what i had in my head), but it was more like a gravy (and sooo messy) so it turned it kind of into a salisbury steak concoction. the one thing i did notice about the patty is that it had a ton of flavor, but it wasn't tooo juicy - it was very firmly packed without a lot of room for juices. looking at their site, it's actually intentional the way they make them firm packed that way, and since it's an 85/15 blend, explains why there isn't a lot of extra fat. it's against my personal preference (loose packed to give a lot of room for fatty mess to play), but i think i can forgive since the meat was very good.

second half was the horseradish... LOVED the sauce on that (horseradish, sourcream & mayo). with the bacon & onion it was quite a mouth party. this patty was also firm and not cooked medium rare, but again it still tasted great. as far as ratings... i'd say it was 5.5*****~.

recipe: baked crab rangoons

i found this recipe on foodgawker.com, and it was perfect for the 2nd app i was making for a party. easy, but delish. the recipe itself is taken from My Baking Addiction:

ingredients list:  

- 1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained and chopped
- 8 oz. (1 pkg) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp light mayo
- 1/2 tsp Sriracha
- 2 tsp sliced chives, + more for garnish
- ground pepper to taste
- 20 (or so) won ton wrappers

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. mix crabmeat, cream cheese, mayo, Sriracha, chives, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. place 1 wonton wrapper in each cup of a mini muffin tin (i had to trim about 1/4 inch off 2 sides of the wonton wrappers so there wasn't too much overhang). fill center of each wonton wrapped with 1 heaping tsp of crab mixture. bake for 5-10 minutes until edges of cups are golden brown and filling is heated through. garnish with reserved chives.
***
so... i actually thought these were just "eh". i really liked the idea of baking the rangoons to avoid all of those fry-calories, in addition to having a cuter presentation... but if you still have chinese take out fry-flavor in your mind, it will mess you up. you have to think of these as just a "crab app", NOT the standard crab rangoon. in addition, the great part about these is that they taste just like real, fresh crab. crab rangoons really taste nothing like crab... so if you're not a crabby person, you will not like these. overall census was just that. crab lovers LOVED these, the ones that aren't into crab were not (seems pretty logical actually). i'm a crab liker, so i think for me these were more like a 5 *****. apparently fried and minimal crab / fake crab mixture is more my speed! 

recipe: bleu cheese stuffed buffalo chicken meatballs

i had to make an app for a party, and actually got the idea for these walking past the prepared apps in BJs. i used the Cheesy Chicken Meatballs recipe from allrecipes.com as the base, stuffing them with a small ball of blue cheese and covering them in wing sauce.

ingredients list:

- 1 lb ground chicken

- 1 egg

- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

- 1 tsp red pepper flakes

- 1 tbsp parsley

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 4 oz bleu cheese
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce / hot sauce

to make: preheat oven to 400 degrees. line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. combine all ingredients EXCEPT bleu cheese and buffalo sauce. mixture will be a bit wet... if it's too wet to work with (that's what she said...), add a little more breadcrumbs. form into about 25-27 balls and place on the prepared pan (i ran out of space and ended up using 2 pans).

roll 27-27 balls of blue cheese out into about 1cm-wide balls. using your thumb, poke a small hole into each meatball, place bleu cheese ball inside, and reroll until the bleu cheese is completely hidden in the meatball.

bake in oven for about 20 minutes, turning once (they will be done when center is at least 165 degrees). add to oven-safe serving dish, and mix with buffalo sauce. return to oven until sauce is fully heated (about 2-3 minutes), and serve!
***
as far as ratings... i actually never even tried em! i ate a healthy sandwich before leaving so i didn't pig out, but then wasn't hungry at all and only had room for booze. people who liked bleu cheese loved these, people who are into into bleu... well HATED them haha. the glory of these lil effers is that the cheese is a little surprise - so hence the love or hate based on the bleu pop.  i like the idea of them since they're easy & a lil meatball with a twist... next time i'll actually try one so i can review it. and i will definitely be stashing some provalone into my next regular batch of meatballs... mmmmm.

recipe: tandoori chicken drumsticks

i had drumsticks in the freezer, a thai/indian craving, and a flurry of great recipe ideas from foodgawker.com at the ready. tonight's FG-inspired recipe is from Modaretto.com, scaled up for 3 ppl, and served with coconut rice.

ingredients list:
- 6 chicken legs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (i used the tubed-variety)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 & 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 & 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 & 1/4 cups yogurt

to make: remove skin from chicken, then mix all remaining ingredients in large bowl or zip lock. add chicken, and stir until the chicken is fully coated. allow to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

when ready to cook, preheat oven to 415 degrees. line a baking sheet with tin foil, placing a wire rack over top (sprayed with cooking spray) to cook the chicken. reserve marinade. bake chicken for 20 minutes, then brush on both sides with the reserved marinade, and turn chicken over. bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until juices run clear.

***

i really liked this one! i hadn't looked at the recipe before dinner, so didn't marinate it for too long. the flavors were really nice as-is, but i'm sure they would have been even deeper & yummier if i let it sit overnight. next time i will add a little additional heat - it was great as-is, but i want the same heat level of the chicken to the sweet level of the rice (if that makes sense). popping it a 7.5*******~.

recipe: coconut rice

even though i'm not a coconut lover, i am a lover of coconut rice. lately everything i've been craving is cumin and spice-injected thai food, and i love the idea of the sweet sweet on the side... such a happy mouth party when they're all together. i used the coconut rice recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen, modifying it based on ingredients i had and just wanting to do a quicker version.

ingredients list (for 3):
- 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped & divided
- 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

to make:
- bring coconut milk and water to a boil. add rice, and lower to a simmer. stir in lime juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cumin, and 2 tbsp cilantro, and let simmer for 30 minutes (add more water if necessary...the rice will be done before 30 minutes, but let it cook longer in more liquid for a creamier end result). remove from heat and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

while rice is cooking, toast coconut flakes until light golden brown. add remaining cilantro and toasted coconut flakes on top of rice before serving.
***
as for verdict, this actually came out better than i expected (the last coconut rice i had was at Hurricane Club and was AMAZING, so i didn't let my hopes get up that high). it was not very sweet on its own with the coconut milk, so i added the brown sugar which brought it up to speed. it was nice & creamy like a risotto but still very light. the toasted coconut was actually a must for this - it gave it a nice zip & slight crunch. i'd go so far as to say 8********, this will def be popping up again next to some spicy dishes.

recipe: chocolate chip cheesecake bars

this was holiday party baking part 2. after a 15+ hour work day yesterday, i was relieved i had picked out two quick & easy recipes for the night last night. i had found this recipe also through foodgawker.com - i loved that it takes two classic (and delish) all american deserts and gives them a twist when combined. the recipe is from Dainty Chef - i just halved the recipe, and used classic Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe for the cookie base (it's old trusty, and i wasn't in the mood to mess around).

ingredients list:
- 1 cup & 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup & 2 tbsp granulated sugar, separated
- 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 eggs, separated
- 1/2 (12 oz) package chocolate chips
- 1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese, softened at room temp

to make: preheat oven to 375 degrees. grease (or line with parchment paper) a 7x11" baking dish, and set aside. combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.

beat butter, 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla in mixer bowl. add 1 egg, beating well. gradually beat in flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips (reserving a few extra). divide dough into two separate portions, and set aside. in separate bowl, cream the cream cheese with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until thoroughly combined. beat in the 1/2 egg and 1/4 tsp vanilla.

spread 1/2 of the cookie dough across bottom of the prepared baking dish, then spread the cheesecake mixture on top of dough. with the remaining 1/2 batch of cookie dough, flatten chunks of the dough into small discs, then place on top of the cheesecake mixture (allowing a little of the cheesecake mixture to show through). drop the extra chocolate chips on top. bake for 25-35 minutes, until top is browned and cooked through. cool completely, then store in the refrigerator until serve time.
***
so... i was so not into eating anymore sweets i didn't even try these (besides a crumb that fell off when cutting into squares). they looked good, and they got great reviews... but i did not have it in me to eat anymore. rating is open ended, but i can say for sure i would definitely make these again... fun, yum recipe.

recipe: nutella blondies

i had to bake for a holiday party, and decided to go with a few diff cookie bars. i had seen a few yum-looking ones on foodgawker.com that seemed test-worthy.

the first is nutella blondies from Krafted by Kelly, who adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart. since my BFF hates nuts in cookies/brownies, i skipped adding the hazelnuts. i don't like them IN cookies/brownies either, but they would probably be good in a chocolate cookie / hazelnut crust if i made these again.

ingredients list:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter-
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 & 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large tablespoons Nutella

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease an 8x11" baking dish and set aside. combine flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.

melt butter, and beat butter and sugar until combined. beat in eggs and vanilla. add flour mixture, and stir until combined. stir in Nutella.

press dough into baking dish, adding an additional topping if desired (crushed toasted hazelnuts, or i used toffee bits), then bake about 25 minutes (until it passes the toothpick test). cool & serve!
***
these were very good. i expected them to be very heavy, but they were much lighter than a brownie consistency. Nutella flavor was not too strong to take over the rest of the blondie... just a lil zip. for someone who doesn't love sweet-sweet, they were a nice lil snack. i'd pop it a 7 *******.

recipe: slow cooker shredded pork tacos

so. this was another bad week. i only had time to cook dinner once, 4 days ago, and haven't had time to pop it up here since. i even attempted to menu plan this week... late monday night i pulled myself together enough to prep the ingredients for this, then it all fell apart from there. waaah!

i discovered www.foodgawker.com last weekend... HOLY COW. the pictures, the recipes... amazing little gem of a site. as result i now have a (longer) laundry list of stuff i want to cook (hence the attempted menu planning), not to mention very much wishing i could take better pictures :o). i saw this slow-cooker shredded beef recipe taco recipe on there which sounded really good, AND easy for weeknight. bingo! (all the beef roasts were super-expensive this week, so i  snagged a pork roast @ $2.99lb instead. beef tacos, pork tacos, as long as i'm eating tacos i don't give an F)

this recipe is taken from Gimme Some Oven, adapted slightly since i don't usually sear meat before slow cooking (i've tried both ways... it ends up mostly the same, just more dishes. skiiip!)

ingredients list (served 4-5):
- 1.25-2 lb boneless beef chuck roast or pork roast
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- flour tortillas (i used Mission Cheddar & Jalapeno)
- taco toppings: chopped tomato, lettuce, onion, & sour cream & your heart's desires
- shredded monte jack cheese or taco cheese

to make: combine chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in small bowl, and rub spice mix all over the meat. set in slow cooker on low, adding in beef stock, tomato paste, liquid smoke, chipolte pepper, onion, & garlic. cook on low for 6-8 hours. when finished cooking, drain some of the liquid (reserving about a 1/2 cup in the cooker), and shred the meat with two forks.

roll the meat up in the tortillas with all taco toppings, and heat in toaster or in a hot pan for a few minutes to heat tortilla through. 

verdict: another yum! these were very smokey from the chipolte... so they were not like a standard slow cooker pulled pork. i would def like to try with beef, because i'm sure the red meat will have a nice flavor party with that smokey goodness. slightly spicy too (i'm glad i didn't add a second chipolte it might have made them hot hot), but also sweet. solid 7 *******.

recipe: turkey tortilla soup

yet another t-day leftover recipe. i've never even considered making tortilla soup before since i always have seen it full of beans and corn (yuuuck), but i had the realization that it's my kitchen i can do whatever i want. beans be gone! so with that... my interpretation of it:

ingredients list:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
- 1 poblano, seeded & chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 oz - i used Hunts)
- 2-3 cups leftover turkey, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 cup instant brown rice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 flour tortilla (i used Mission Cheddar & Jalapeno), cut into thin strips
- sour cream for serving
- green onion, for serving


to make: heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. add onion, jalapeno, poblano, and garlic and saute until the veggies start to brown. add next 9 ingredients, stir well, and bring to a boil. simmer on low heat for an additional 35 minutes. after 35 minutes, add rice, raise heat to medium-low, and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes.


while soup is simmering, heat vegetable oil in a small pan. fry tortilla strips for about 1 minute, remove to a paper-towel lined plate, and set aside.


when soup is done, finish with a dollop of sour cream, tortilla strips, and green onion. done!


verdict: YUM! i was afraid this was going to be too spicy with the jalapeno and poblano, but they cooked down nicely, giving just enough kick to the dish. the slight sweet from the ginger and spices still came through with all that heat - i think having the rice/turkey helped take it down a notch. my ideal soups are creamy, but i didn't have the heart to do that tonight for calorie's sake... if it were up to me i would have added sour cream to the entire soup, forget just the dollop on top. even with that, it still gets a solid 7 *******. would make again fo sho.

recipe: pumpkin apple pancakes

sunday is big breakfast day... usually a sausage / egg / pancake fiesta of sorts. today we're still hopped up on t-day leftovers so decided to jack up the pancakes with leftover pumpkin filling, apples, and cinnamon. yummmz.

we used boxed pancake mix (it's rare we're that motivated to cook-cook on a weekend morning - i'm not gonna lie, i'm hungover a lot)... the recipe is following those box instructions, dropping in about a 1/4 cup of pumpkin filling (assuming you're cooking for 3-4 servings), a half a chopped granny smith apple, and about 2 tsp of cinnamon. we've been cooking them in butter lately... it doesn't help the calorie count, but once you get that buttery crispy crust on them you can't go back.

pumpkin makes it lil more moist (and brings juuust a slight pumpkin taste), apple & cinnamon are always great p-cakes. 6.5 ******~.