Waffles Al Fresco

We decided to have a small get together to break-in my new Belgian waffle maker. My dear brother and his wife gifted me with a Waring Pro Professional Belgian Waffle iron for my birthday and I have been happily making waffles ever since. Now I've owned a waffle iron before but I don't recall it producing this quality of waffles. Think thick, crisp-on-the-outside, warm and soft on the inside waffles, and

you'll know what I'm talking about. We made the waffles poolside on a sunny, bright, Southern California morning. I used a buttermilk recipe from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything cookbook which only took minutes to prepare. As you can tell from the picture, I dressed my waffle up with some fresh berries, whipped cream and powdered sugar. You can be as creative as you 'd like when it comes to topping off waffles. How about some mascarpone cheese with applesauce, or candied pecans and vanilla ice cream? Or, if you're like me, a waffle sandwich with a few slices of crispy bacon, melted cheese, whipped cream, and strawberry sauce in between. Okay, I'll save that one for next weekend!

Buttermilk Waffles by Mark Bittman (How To Cook Everything):

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda1

3/4 cup buttermilk or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk (I used a combination of buttermilk and sourcream)

2 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter melted and cooled

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola or neutral oil for brushing on waffle iron (I used an olive oil spray)

directions

1. Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the buttermilk and egg yolks. Stir in the butter and vanilla (if using).

2. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat egg whites with the whisk or electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter.

3. Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until waffle was done (usually 3-5 minutes). Serve immediately, or keep warm in low oven.

Make A Wish

Tomorrow I will be turning a milestone age, and to celebrate the occasion, I baked some red velvet cupcakes. I decided on red velvet because the name itself conjures up images of pure decadence, don't you think? And I believe that decadence is something a girl ought to indulge in every once in awhile, especially on her birthday. Well, these cupcakes were not only decadent, they were also quite fun to make. The best part, aside from eating them, was adding the red food coloring and watching the batter turn a bright shade of crimson right before my eyes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 16 standard size cupcakes):

recipe adapted from Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook, by Sylvia Woods and Family

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 ounces red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ( I used neufchatel cheese)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1 pound box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 12 cup cupcake pan. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Fill cupcake pan with the batter until about 2/3 cup full. Bake for about 15-18 minutes (start watching cupcakes carefully at about 15 minutes), or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Once cupcakes have completely cooled, frost them, and eat!

The Good, The Bad, and The Curry

Okay, curry is not supposed to be pretty, is it? This shrimp and snow pea curry dish I made for dinner didn't look as photogenic as I would have liked for my post, but what the heck. It sure tasted good! This was perhaps one of the simplest and fastest meals I've made all summer and it got rave reviews from my shrimp-loving boyfriend. To make the job even more convenient, I used frozen jumbo shrimp that I bought at Trader Joe's. Simply serve this over some steamed white rice and you and your tummy will be happy.

Snow Pea and Shrimp Curry (adapted from Eating Well Magazine, June 2007)

ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon mustard seeds (optional)

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound snow peas

1 cup "lite" coconut milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the mustard seeds if using until they start to pop. Then add the curry (if not using the mustard seeds then add the curry once the oil is heated). Cook and stir the curry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and peas, and continue to stir until the shrimp are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the shrimp have cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

Serves 4

August Baking: Cherry Clafoutis

When I was around six years old, I remember going cherry picking with my parents and older brother. I can still recall how excited I was to pick my own fruit and how, at the end of the day, I was so proud of my big bagful of cherries. Never mind that it was sweltering hot or that there were bees swarming all round me. All I could do was joyfully pick cherry after cherry until both my bag and my tummy were stuffed. These days, I haven't been practicing my cherry-picking skills much. My local farmer's market and grocery store are where I mostly pick up my fruit now. Nevertheless, I was still able to find some luscious summer cherries which I thought would be perfect for this cherry clafoutis recipe. According to dictionary.com, a clafoutis (pronounced klah-foo-tee), is French for a tart made of fruit, baked in a thick, sweet batter. The fruit is traditionally cherries but really, almost any fruit can be used. I loved the ease of this recipe and the fact that it's actually a bit lower in fat was a big plus too. I found it in The Eating Well Dessert Cookbook and it takes very little time to put together. The clafoutis reminds me of a cross between a light bread pudding and a custard. Oh, and it's traditional to leave the pits in the cherries when you bake this, which is exactly what I did. Give it a try and enjoy!

Cherry Clafoutis

Ingredients:

1 pound cherries (leave pits in if you desire)

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons AP flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the cherries and 1/3 cup sugar in the dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cherries are tender and very juicy (this took about 30 minutes in my oven).

2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Whisk in the evaporated milk.

3. Drain the juices from the cherries into a small bowl, holding back the fruit with a metal spatula (or use a strainer). Reserve the juices. Redistribute the cherries over the bottom of the dish and pour in the egg mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes or until puffed and set. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with the cherry juices spooned over the top.

Yields 4 generous servings

My Improvised Blondies

I was inspired to bake some blondies recently after practically drooling over Joe's Maple Butterscotch Macadamia Nut Blondies which he posted on his website, Culinary in the Desert, last week. I loved how he used toasted macadamia nuts (one of my boyfriend's favorites), and maple extract in the recipe to create a blondie with a little kick in it. Well, I was determined to follow the recipe to a tee so on Sunday, I set out in search of the ingredients. I went to my local Trader Joe's where I picked up the macadamia nuts but could not find any maple extract. Still determined, I headed over to Pavillion's where once again, I struck out in finding this apparently elusive item. They carried the ubiquitous vanilla extract of course, I spotted a few bottles of almond extract, and heck, even rum extract was on the shelf, but no maple was to be found. I asked the friendly store clerk who politely asked me if I tried Trader Joe's yet? I smiled and nodded. Feeling let down, I drove home. It was a hot day and I really didn't feel like driving to a third store so I decided to make the blondies anyway using...maple syrup! I know what you're thinking. It's not the same. It's definitely not as potent as the extract. But you know what? The blondies were a hit nonetheless. First of all, they smell delicious. I wish this could be a scratch and sniff entry because then you'd know what I'm talking about. The taste of the blondie is rich and chewy with hints of maple and butterscotch. Sure I'm still on the lookout for some maple extract, but in the meantime, I think I'll have another blondie.

Sunday Morning Breakfast--Bran Muffins

I’ve been baking so many muffins these days that sometimes I think this site should be named “PBJ on Muffins!" Seriously though, I just love a good muffin, especially when I’ve baked it myself.
One of my favorite kinds is the classic bran muffin. I must confess that I used to frequent Winchell’s Donut Shop almost on a daily basis on my way to work just for their bran muffin. Theirs were about the size of a very large baseball, was super sweet, and had lots of raisins speckled throughout. I loved it! These days though, a sugar-laden, humongous muffin isn’t really what I should be, or want to be putting into my body. Nope. Instead, I try to bake with more whole grains and less sweeteners while at the same time, still producing a muffin that is satisfying and delicious to eat. I adapted this recipe for bran muffins from the farmgirl fare blogsite. They're made with whole wheat pastry flour, honey and molasses. You can do your own variation by adding dried fruit or nuts if you like. I personally enjoy the full flavor of the bran so I like mine simple. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Wholesome Bran Muffins (yields 12 standard size muffins)
Ingredients:
2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup soy milk or regular milk
2/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup coconut oil (can substitute with canola oil)
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (or regular molasses)
1/3 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; grease a standard size muffin pan (I use an olive oil cooking spray).
2. In a large bowl: combine the first 6 ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, yogurt, oil, molassess and honey and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
3. Fill the muffin cups with batter (I was able to fill pretty much to the top)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 10-15 minutes, remove from the pan and eat them warm or allow to cool further on a wire rack.

Do You Fideo?

I had never heard of the word Fideo until I saw an episode of Top Chef several months back where one of the contestants prepared a dish using this pasta. Here’s the definition from Wikipedia: Fideo is the Spanish word for a noodle of any type. In Mexico, its name refers to a type of pasta similar to angel hair spaghetti. It is also known as vermicelli. In Spain it refers to very short noodles used in place of rice in some dishes.

Since I love trying out new ingredients I eagerly looked for fideo in my grocery store and came home with a couple of bags. I used a recipe I found on Allrecipes that had minimal ingredients, was simple to do, and more importantly, was pretty darn quick to make. All in all, I enjoy fideo. I found the pasta to be hearty, versatile, and easily adaptable. It's certainly a nice alternative to your more traditional pasta and I can see many uses for it in dishes like casseroles or soups. Let me know what you think.