My Baking Adventures

About a year ago, a Fresh & Easy Market opened up right down the street from our house. I didn’t pay too much attention to it at the time, since I usually do my weekly shopping at one of the larger markets in the area.

However, out of necessity, I stopped in one day to pick up milk, and was pleasantly surprised at the well-stocked store. Plus, their prices on certain items (like cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate) can’t be beat.

Last week, I was browsing the produce aisle and discovered fresh jalapenos. The first thought that came to mind was “Jalapeno Poppers”! I’ve never made them before, but we are a spicy-food loving family, and it was Superbowl weekend, so I figured this was my chance to try them.

A quick search online led to Emeril’s recipe – and believe it or not, I only made one change to the original recipe. Instead of dipping the stuffed peppers into the egg wash and breading them, I simply sprinkled a bit of panko crumbs over each one, then baked as per the directions.

These were fun to make, and eat – and I will definitely be making them again.

A word of caution about the filling – this recipe makes a lot. Next time I will  prepare only half of it, since you don’t use too much for each pepper.

However, that being said, the filling was really good stuffed into a piece of celery.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers - adapted from Emeril Lagasse

12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack (or mozzarella cheese)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
½ cup panko crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno halves. Place the peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the panko crumbs over each pepper.  Bake until the filling is runny and the top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

If you were to ask my children, “What’s better than mashed potatoes?”

They would tell you that the only thing better than having mashed potatoes is having the leftover mashed potatoes that are made into croquettes.

And while this recipe starts off with making your own, using the leftovers (from Thanksgiving, perhaps) makes for a very tasty snack.

Because really, what’s better than a crispy-crunchy shell filled with warm potatoes?

Crocchette di Patate (Potato Croquettes) – adapted from Gourmet – 2005

2 lb russet potatoes
3 large eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbs. water
1 cup dry bread crumbs

Put unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, then peel while still hot. Quarter potatoes and force through a ricer into a large bowl. Whisk together2 eggs, salt and pepper and stir into the potatoes. Add the cheese and mix well. Chill potato mixture, uncovered, until cold and stiff, about 30 minutes.

Whisk together remaining egg and 1 tbs. water in a shallow bowl and put the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl.

Form 2 tbs. of the cold potato mixture into a torpedo shaped croquette about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Coat croquette in egg, then roll in bread crumbs. Place coated croquette onto a wire rack. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. (At this point, the croquettes can be held, in the refrigerator, overnight. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap.)

Preheat oven to 200. Heat ½ inch of oil in a large, wide pot over moderately high heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Fry croquettes in batches, without crowding, turning as necessary, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven while frying remaining croquettes. Serve hot.

Yield – about 20 croquettes

Happy First Day of November!

I’ve got a busy day planned, and with the extra hour (thanks to Daylight Savings Time!) I anticipate getting a lot of things done. Today, we have to pack up the Halloween decorations, throw out the unwanted candy, gather the kids old costumes for the Candlelighters’ Foundation and, as an extra bonus, I get to spend some quality time with my vacuum – Sabrina had a small party last night, and one of her friends had a glittery costume on – and suffice to say there is glitter everywhere.

Even my dogs are looking extra sparkly this morning.

So to kick off my morning, I prepared a pumpkin spice latte for myself.

The original recipe comes from Steph at A Year of Crockpotting, but since I was making this just for myself, I adapted it to a small saucepan and skipped the crockpot.

It was so warming and delicious – not to mention less expensive and less fattening than the “coffee house” versions.

I’ll be making another one of these later – as I watch David bring down the holiday decorations.

Just think – Thanksgiving is a mere 25 days away.

Pumpkin Spice Latte - adapted from A Year Of Crockpotting

1 cup 2% milk
1 tbs. pumpkin puree
1 packet Splenda
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ ts vanilla extract
¼ cup espresso

Combine milk, pumpkin, splenda and spice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in espresso, pour into a mug, and top with shot whipped cream and nutmeg.

Let’s take a break from all the sweet stuff I’ve been posting lately, and look at something really unique and different:

Grilled steak fries!

I came across this idea while flipping through Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries and Shakes – and thought to myself, “That’s cool!”

And how convenient that we were having burgers for dinner. Cosmic coincidence? Naah – just good planning on my part.

These were really exceptional in terms of ease of preparation and flavor  – plus, they had all the positive attributes for french fries (crispy outside, soft inside) and none of the negatives (greasy and/or soggy). They also had the benefit of the “smoky grill flavor” that the barbecue imparts.

The original recipe calls for boiling the potatoes before slicing – but I found that using the microwave was a more practical way to go.

Grilled Steak Fries - adapted from Bobby Flay

4 large russet potatoes, thoroughly washed
2 tbs. olive or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Pierce the potatoes in several places, then place them in the microwave. Cook on high power for 10 minutes, or until they are cooked but still firm.

Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then slice into wedges. Brush the wedges with the oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Grill the potatoes over medium high heat until crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Do you ever get tired of making the same old Rice Krispie Treats? I know I do. I mean, Rice Krispies don’t have any flavor to begin with, and marshmallows just add sticky sweetness to the mix, so truth be told, I really don’t ever eat them.

Inspired by a photo I saw on Serious Eats,  I dug through the cereal section of the pantry and combined Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Rice Krispies, marshmallows and chocolate chips to come up with Cinnamon S’More’s Crispy Treats.

The kids LOVED them. And I will admit to stealing a few bites – the cinnamon toast cereal really gave these a great warm toasty flavor.

I added the chocolate chips while the marshmallow mixture was still hot, so the chips melted and swirled throughout the bars, resulting in more intense chocolate flavor. I’ll definitely be making these again.

Cinnamon S’More’s Crispy Treats

3 tbs. butter
1 10 oz package marshmallows (regular or mini)
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
3 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine butter and marshmallows in a large bowl – microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping to stir halfway through cooking time. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Add cereals, stir to combine. Add chocolate chips while mixture is still warm and mix well. Press mixture into a greased 9×13 pan and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

On the few occasions that we actually go out to eat, one of our favorite destinations is The Cheesecake Factory. It’s close, the food is always good, and their menu is diversified enough to please everyone.

Just about every time we go, Sabrina wants to order the Spinach Artichoke Dip. I think it’s ok – but does tend to be a bit heavy, and sometimes greasy.

I’ve tried several recipes in an effort to recreate it at home, but the biggest problem I’ve encountered is that the base mixture was still too heavy on the mayonnaise – or worse, called for alfredo sauce as the main ingredient.

I could feel my arteries hardening while typing that.

This version, adapted from Everyday Food, is just about perfect. Lighter and fresher tasting, with a bit of kick from the cayenne pepper, this one won’t send you to the E.R. after cocktail hour.

And that’s always a bonus in my book.

Note: This is even better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to get to know each other and swap phone numbers.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained
4 oz cream cheese, softened
Large handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup sour cream
3 tbs. parmesan cheese
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and process until blended. Serve hot or cold with tortilla chips or vegetables for dipping.

Does anyone else ever watch “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”? Although I’m not much of a TV watcher (seriously, is there ever anything good on?), but I will confess to watching that particular show whenever I get a chance.

I will also confess to having a secret crush on Guy Fieri…………..  and now I guess it’s not so secret anymore.

*ahem*

Anyways, I picked up the book “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, and tagged several recipes to make immediately. These Mini Mex Rolls were at the top of the list because:

1. I had everything in the house to make them.

2. I could sucker sweetly ask David to help roll them.

And since I was using what I had on-hand to make them, that meant utilizing a leftover piece of Chimichurri pork instead of the chicken, pinto beans instead of black, and cheddar cheese instead of monterey jack.  Oh, and just for fun, I decided to bake these in a 425 degree oven instead of frying them. Which was definitely one of my better ideas, because they came out perfect. Crispy, crunchy and not greasy at all.

Look, I even arranged everything really pretty to take a group photo:

And I had grand intentions of documenting the entire rolling process – but as you will see, that didn’t happen. David and I were talking, wrapping and rolling – sounds like a dance, doesn’t it – and before I knew it, all the rolls were made.

Extreme close-up:

These were great – and I’ll be making them again to have for after-school snacks.

My hands started shaking as I typed that sentence.

Mini Mex Rolls – adapted from Leslie Bock

1 chicken breast, cooked and finely chopped
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup corn
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 cup black beans
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
Wonton or egg roll wrappers
Canola oil, for frying

Heat the cooked chicken, seasoning and water on medium heat until the liquid thickens and gets absorbed into the chicken. Set aside.
Combine the cheese, red peppers and jalapenos in a blender until finely chopped. Place in a mixing bowl and stir in corn, scallions, beans, and chicken mixture. Combine well and set aside.
Whisk together the egg and water and set aside. Place wonton or egg roll wrappers on a flat surface and brush the outer edges with egg wash mixture. If you’re using wonton wrappers, attach 2 together with egg wash mixture to make a longer rectangle. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of Mex mixture onto wrapper and spread into a log shape. Fold over ends of wrapper approximately 1/2-inch to cover ends of log shaped mixture. After ends are turned in, roll up and seal.
Deep-fry the Mini Mex Rolls in canola oil heated to 375 degrees F until they float. Remove and drain, and allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

Since I haven’t uploaded the photos of the pie from last night, I want to share a dip/spread that I made last week. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of cooking dried beans, and soup season is behind us (for right now), I had to find something to do with the bags of beans in my freezer.

I put the little gray cells in my head to work, did a quick recipe search, and guess what I came up with?

Cannellini Bean Hummus!

I love hummus, but haven’t been able to make it in years because of (….wait for it…..) Sabrina’s allergy to garbanzo beans. Can’t figure out why they bother her, but that’s another story.

I tried this recipe, which came from Cooking Light – and while it was good, it definitely needed more flavor. I doubled up on the lemon juice and seasonings, and I still think it could have used more. Perhaps a clove of garlic (or two) would have given it that “punch” I was looking for.

My next move with those beans? Falafel – with homemade pita bread. I can’t wait!

White Bean Hummus - Cooking Light

1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, peeled

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, and process until the mixture is smooth.

Now that school is out, my kids are enjoying the creativity and spontaneity of homemade lunches. Since their school doesn’t have a cafeteria (unless you consider trucked- in fast food a cafeteria), lunches were always brought from home.  And let’s face it, that gets boring after awhile.

However, schools’ out and the living is easy – which means it’s time to break out all those great recipes I’ve had sitting off to the side!

First up – taquitos. My kids love the ones from Baja Fresh – but after seeing the amount of sodium on one serving (trust me, you don’t want to know), I told the kids I’d rather just serve them a plate of salt. Disgusting, yes, but it gets the point across.

In anticipation of trying my hand at homemade taquitos, I threw some boneless, skinless chicken into my slow cooker and sprinkled them liberally with Mrs. Dash (I love that stuff):

I like the Southwest Chipotle – it’s really flavorful without being super spicy:

Then I added a thick layer of salsa.

After it cooked for about 1 ½ hours, I shredded it up and mixed everything together.

I filled the tortillas with a small amount of chicken:

Then rolled them as tightly as I could, and used a toothpick to hold them together while they baked – it took them about 20 minutes at 425 degrees to get nice and crispy -

I brushed a few with vegetable oil, and left the others plain – I wanted to see if it made a discernable difference to the end result.

And it did not. They cracked and split all the same – but truthfully, it didn’t matter – the kids loved them! (and David was impressed, too!)

I used corn tortillas, but I think next time I’ll try flour – they seem to be more flexible and might hold together better.

Here’s the link to the recipe that inspired me - it’s from Rachael Ray.

Happy First Day of Spring to you!

We’ve had temperatures in the 80′s all week – which has inspired two thing:

1. The need for spring cleaning

2. The need to buy the kids new clothes.

Sabrina came downstairs to other morning and I was stunned to realize that she grew an inch overnight. And before anyone accuses me of exaggerating (cough *Dad* cough), I actually measured her. She’s now officially 5’1″.

Which is great, and bad at the same time. It was bad because I removed 85% of the contents from her closet. Nothing fits! Her pants gave new meaning to the term “waiting for a flood”. I just hope her school uniform shorts last another 3 months.

Yeah right.

And of course, spring cleaning has the domino effect – I started in Sabrina’s room, then moved onto Alexander’s room, then my closet as well. Needless to say, I’ve spent the better part of the week organizing and cleaning.

So with all of activity, I felt it was appropriate to make Spring Rolls for this weeks’ Tyler Florence Fridays.

Only I couldn’t find spring roll wrappers, so I used egg roll wrappers instead.

I think the best part about making your own rolls is filling them exactly the way you want. I used green and purple cabbage, carrots, rice noodles and bok choy. The kids love them! Since I made such a large batch, I put the leftovers into the freezer, which means they make perfect after school snacks.

Spring Rolls - Tyler Florence

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 pound mixed wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, crimini, oyster, shiitake) (I left these out)
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (I left this out)
2 ounces bean thread noodles, blanched and chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 package spring roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add the cabbage and carrot and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hoisin and oyster sauces; toss to coat the mixture. Remove from the heat and mix in the noodles, sprouts, and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. The filling should be moist but not wet. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Lay a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface on an angle so it looks like a diamond. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling near the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold up to enclose the filling. Fold in the 2 sides. Paint the top seam of the wrapper with beaten egg. Continue rolling up to form a tight cylinder. Pour about 1-inch of oil in a skillet or wok and heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the spring rolls, turning to cook all sides, until browned, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.