recipe: Irish soda bread

taken from: Serious Eats 

bad pic, but this was a yum
St. Paddy's day din

changes: none!

ingredients:

- 3 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 & 3/4 tsp kosher salt

- 1 & 1/8 tsp baking soda

- 2 & 1/4 cups buttermilk

to make: 

adjust oven rack to middle position & preheat oven to 450 degrees F. roughly cover the bottom of a deep 10" cast iron or enameled Dutch oven with a sheet of parchment paper. 

combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to combine. stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula until dough is fully moistened and all small pockets of flour are gone. for extra-fluffy results, stop folding as soon as dough comes together. for extra-chewy results, fold dough about 20 seconds more. scrape sticky dough into the prepared Dutch oven and smooth with a spatula until the dough is a consistent(ish) round shape. score deeply into quarters with a sharp knife.   

cover and bake until well risen and golden, about 45 minutes. remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temp of 210 degrees F, 12-15 minutes longer. invert onto a wire rack, discard parchment, and cool until it has set, about 30 minutes. 

it can be stored in an airtight container for 24 hours. 

results: amazing. i had no expectations, but the texture and flavor of this bread was on-point. cracky crust, doughy insides, great rustic-tasting (is that flavor?) bread. 

recipe: slow cooker carnitas

taken from: Gimme Some Oven

picture taken from GimmeSomeOven 

changes: skipped the searing step before adding this to the slow cooker. 

ingredients:

- 1 4-lb lean boneless pork roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 5-inch chunks

- 1 can light beer (or chicken stock)

- 1 medium white onion, diced

- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

- 1 tbsp chipotle powder

- 2 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp blaok pepper

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

to make: 

add all ingredients EXCEPT the pork to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. add pork. 

cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the pork is super-tender and shreds easily with a fork. 

once pork is cooked, preheat broiler to high heat and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil. use a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the baking sheet, spreading pork in an even layer. leave the juices behind in the slow cooker. 

place the baking sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning & crisping up. remove from the oven, then ladle bout 1/2 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the pork, and give it a good toss with some tongs. broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy, then ladle and additional 1/2 cup of juices over the crispy pork. 

results: YUM. though it's a little more work than regular pulled pork, i'd do the crispy step again b/c it adds a lot. (sometimes regular pulled pork has a mush texture like tuna fish... sometimes this is OK, sometimes it's just a bit meh) 

recipe: individual chicken pot pies

taken from: Food Network

changes: 1) halved the recipe since I was only making 2 mini-pot pies, 2) used puff pastry for the crust, 3) added extra seasonings (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, seasoning salt)

photo taken from MarthaStewart.com because
i can never remember to take one

ingredients (for 2 pot pies)

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1/2 a medium onion, finely diced

- 1 medium carrot, finely diced

- 1 stalk celery, finely diced

- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

- 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

- 1/8 cup dry white wine (or addt'l chicken broth)

- 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast

- 1/8 tsp tumeric

- 1/4 tsp ground thyme

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1/4 tsp white pepper

- 1/4 tsp parsley

- 1/4 tsp oregano

- fresh ground black pepper, salt & seasoning salt to taste 

- 1/8 cup half & half

- 2 5"x 5" squares of puff pastry

- 1 egg white

to make: 

lightly grease the insides of 2 ramekins and set aside. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. melt butter over a large skillet over medium-high heat, ten add the onion, carrots, and celery. cook, stirring veggies around, until the start to soften, about 3 minutes. sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth and wine, stirring to combine. let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes. 

stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric, thyme, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, and salt/pepper. add more broth if it seems overly thick. turn off heat and let the filling cool to room temperature. 

divide the mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins. lay the puff pastry over each of the ramekins, pressing the edges slightly so they seal in place. mix the egg white with 2 tsp water, and brush it on the surface of the crust. cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.

add crusts to a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is nice and toasty and the filling is bubbly. 

results: delish! much easier to assemble than I expected, consistency of filling & flavor was great. i could definitely taste the tumeric and i gave it a slightly-Indian-tasting vibe -- easy to leave out if you want a more traditional flavored p-pie. 

recipe: shrimp & pork wonton soup

taken from: allrecipes.com

changes: used spinach wontons wrappers & added some spinach to the broth. all other ingredients remain the same -- filling was perfection.

ingredients:

- 1/2 lb ground pork

- 2 oz peeled shrimp, finely chopped

- 1 tsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

- 1 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tsp finely chopped green onion

- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger root

- 24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers (i used a spinach wonton wrapper)

- 3 cups chicken stock

- 1/ cup finely chopped green onion

to make: 

in a large bowl, combine pork, shrimp, sugar, wine, soy sauce, 1 tsp chopped green onion and ginger. blend well, and let stand for 25-30 minutes.

place about 1 tsp of filling at the center of each wonton skin. moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with water, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. press edges firmly to make a seal. continue until all wrappers are used. 

to make soup, bring the chicken stock to a boil. drop the wontons in, and cook for 5 minutes. garnish with chopped green onion, and serve. (i had also added spinach to mine)

XLB - Portland, OR

xiao long bao (soup dumplings <3)

hoisin duck baozi

recipe: (bootleg) spanakopita

taken from: N/A

changes: i had a few sheets of leftover phyllo dough from making baklava, so i threw together this bootleg spanakopita based on what i had after reading a few recipes. it ~should~ use feta and a few other seasonings, but this came together nicely as a easy app alternative. don't use if you're looking for a straight-up traditional recipe. 

ingredients (for 2):

- olive oil- 1/2 shallot, finely diced

- 2 handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced 

- 1/2 tsp oregano 

- 1/2 tsp onion poweder

- 1 cup garlic cheddar cheese (Tillamook)

- 1/4 cup goat cheese 

- 1 egg

- 1-2 tsp flour

- salt & pepper

- 1/4 cup butter, melted

- 1 tsp sesame seeds

to make: preheat oven to 350F degrees. heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. slowly cook and stir shallots until softened. add in garlic and cook for 1 minute. mix in spinach, oregano, onion powder, and flour. cook for 7-10 minutes, or until spinach has cooked down and most of the moisture is absorbed. remove from heat, and mix in cheeses, egg, salt, and pepper. 

roll out the phyllo dough, and brush with a thin coating of butter. place a small amount of spinach mixture onto the bottom of each piece of dough. fold phyllo into triangles like you're folding a flag. brush tops with butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

bake in preheated oven 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. 

recipe: lingiuini with clam sauce

taken from: foodnetwork.com 

changes: reduced quantities since we only had ~2 dozen clams, used dried oregano & parsley since it's all we had, added shallots, added a few dashes onion powder, white pepper, & Italian seasoning.

result: absolutely delightful -- would make again without any changes.  

ingredients (for 2):
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- 2 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed under cold running water 
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 lb lingiuni
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt 

recipe: Ferrero Roche Nutella cake

quick/crummy picture... sorry cake

changes: i needed a quick/easy cake base since i was short on time, so used a hybrid of 2 recipes for the cake base + icing for this cake. the original cake base recipe does not call for any added liquor, but i sprinkled hazelnut booze in between all layers. 

result: amazing. this icing is perfect for a cake that needs a little extra sumthin-sumthin, or even to layer in between cookies. i copy-cated the toppings from Tatayan's Everyday Food, which was really easy, but looked SO pretty. the cake was a little tricky to spread icing on but it was so moist, but the flavor was really rich and a perfect compliment to the hazelnutty icing. perfect.

ICING/FILLING:
taken from: Tatayana's Everyday Food

ingredients icing:
- 2 cups butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup nutella
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar

ingredients topping:
- crunchy wafer or waffle cookies, crushed (i used Belgian almond thins)
- 1/2 cup Frangelico or other hazelnut liquor
- Ferrero Rocher candies and hazelnuts
- gold sprinkles
- hazelnut Pirouette's 

CAKE BASE: 
taken from: allrecipes.com

ingredients: 
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water

to make: preheat oven to 350F degrees. grease and flour 3 9-inch round pans.

in a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. stir in boiling water last. batter will be very thin. pour evenly into the 3 prepared pans. 

bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

to make icing, place softened butter and Nutella into a mixer, and whisk until light and fluffy. gradually add the confectioner's sugar until frosting is thick and fluffy. add pinch of salt for flavor. 

when ready to assemble cake, lightly soak each cake layer with Frangelico before topping with frosting and an crushed cookies between each layer. frost sides and top, then garnish with candy, hazelnuts, cookies, Pirouette's, sprinkles, or whatever else you want to throw on there. 

keep refrigerated, removing from fridge 1 hour before serving to allow buttercream to soften. 

recipe: lamb meatballs with spiced tomato sauce

photo from nytimes.com. i really need to get better at photogging my food.

MEAT BALLS: 
taken from: foodnetwork.com 

changes: baked instead of fried; whole wheat flour in place of semolina no changes to overall ingredients 

result: perfect. exactly what I was looking for in terms of flavor, and really easy to put together. 

ingredients:
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp semolina (or substitute flour, if needed)
- 1 egg, beaten

to make: put the lamb into a large bowl and add the scallions. sprinkle in the spices, salt, and egg. work everything together with your hands until evenly mixed, then cover and leave in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.  

when ready to prep balls, preheat oven to 400F degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

form meat into 1 & 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. bake for about 20 minutes, turning once during the cooking process. 

SAUCE:
taken from: NY Times Cooking

changes: very minor. can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole, subbed ground thyme instead of fresh, coconut sugar in place of white sugar.

recipe: chicken and wild rice soup

taken from: Taste of Home

changes: added minced garlic; added extra seasonings: seasoning salt, white pepper, paprika extra chicken bouillon; sauteed veggies before adding in broth mixture; reduced time for broth simmering from 30 to 20 minutes. 

result: was exactly what I was looking for, and a little creamy without having to add a lot of cream. would make again. 

ingredients (makes 14 servings): 
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped (i used white mushrooms)
- 1 cup finely chopped celery

- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (+ a few dashes more as needed, to taste)
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 can (10 & 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: cranberry sauce (T-Day 3 of 3)

taken from: Serious Eats 

changes: skipped the cinnamon stick in place of 1 tsp of cinnamon, added 1-2 tbsp triple sec

result: it came out really well, BUT (in my taste) it was a little tart -- i think i'd prefer cranberry sauce to have a bit of tangy & sweet all at the same time. it's a great, reliable base recipe though - next time i will add a touch more sugar, or even brown sugar to help round out the tart.


ingredients:
- 1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries
- 1+ cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- zest from 1 orange
- 2 tbsp juice from 1 orange
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 tbsp triple sec or Grand Marnier 
- pinch kosher salt

to make: combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop. press berries against side of pan with a large flat spoon (or wooden spoon, though this may stain it) and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until berries are complete broken down and take on a jam-like consistency, about 10-15 minutes total. 

remove from heat and allow to cool about 30 minutes. add water in 1-tbsp increments to adjust to desired consistency, if needed. sauce can be serviced immediately or stored in the fridge several month.

recipe: apple galette with salted maple caramel drizzle (T-Day 2 of 3)

original recipe from: Live Eat Learn

changes: none to the original recipe, other than sprinkling some sliced almonds over top before baking

result: SO good. the crust tasted good on its own -- the sprinkle of sugar over top was perfect. this was pretty easy to put together (even more so than a pie) and looked so beautiful. would definitely make again.

ingredients: 

photo from Live Eat Learn

filling: 
- 2-3 granny smith apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp almond paste 
- dab of butter

dough:
- 1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar + more for sprinkling on top
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp ice water
- 2 tbsp cold apple or apricot brandy
- 1 egg white

salted maple caramel: 
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

recipes: cauliflower goat cheese gratin (T-Day 1 of 3)

original recipe from: New York Times

changes: none to the ingredients, but prepped it the night before and left it in the fridge up until 1 hour before baking

result: flavor was really good and i love the idea of the this dish, but there was a lot of extra liquid in the dish after it was baked -- maybe this was a result of prepping it the day before, maybe there was too much moisture left in the cauliflower before i prepped it, i don't know. i'd try this again but will cut back on the milk and really drain the cauli before assembling it to see if that fixes the issue

picture from New York Times

ingredients: 
- 1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 6 oz goat cheese
- 1 large garlic clove
- 5 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs