All Good Things Cakes, Bundts, and Loafs

31 Jan

Because all I want right now is cake.
Because I am too lazy to go make a cake in my kitchen and then clean up the mess.
Because all I want is for YOU to make ME a cake so I can eat it with you.
Any of the following cakes will suffice:


Rainbow Cake. Layers of colorful almond cake, raspberry jam, and a chocolate sprinkle top. Takes me back to childhood.


Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Rosemary. This cake screams Italian.


Pear and Cranberry Holiday Spice Cake. Moist. Studded with pears. Full of spicy sweetness.


Carrot Cake. What’s the secret to the best carrot cake ever? Fresh ginger.


Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake. Pretty pretty princess.


Peanut Butter Banana Bread. With melty choco chips? I’m so there.


Buttermilk Pound Loaf. She’s a lady, wowowow, she’s a lady…


Buttermilk Avocado Pound Loaf. The mean green fighting machine.


Red Velvet Cupcake Cones. Cupcakes DEFINITELY count as cake.

>Because Sometimes I Eat Dinner at My Desk: Sauteed Mushrooms, Etc.

24 Jan

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They say don’t eat at your desk. Don’t eat in front of the television. Don’t eat with distraction.

But we all do it.

This evening I had the pleasure of dinner for 1 at my desk. My desk is a big clutter blob. So sue me.

Below you will see an ugly picture of my delicious dinner:


Have you ever sauteed mushrooms only to find them juicing like crazy, leaving you with a big watery liquid mess in your skillet? I have found the solution. Heat your pan and place your sliced mushrooms onto the dry skillet. Let them cook, let them release their juices and then the juices will evaporate. Once your mushrooms are cooked, THEN add your butter, your oil, your fat of choice. This will leave you with flavorful mushrooms without that unappetizing liquid (Of course, you could always pour out the liquid and use it in addition to stock for soup etc., but who really does that or takes the time to do that?).

Sauteed Mushrooms, Etc.

serves 1-2

2 handfuls? of mushrooms, I used cremini
a small pat of butter and/or olive oil
salt
1/4 of a chopped shallot, or about 1-2 tablespoons onion
1 chopped garlic clove
chopped parsley (optional)
dash of balsamic

(whole wheat) couscous

black beans

feta cheese

1. Prepare your couscous. Open up a can of black beans. Slice or crumble your feta. Set everything aside while you prepare the mushrooms.

2. Heat a pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until done-ish. Add some salt, butter/oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for about a minute or two more.

3. Take pan off heat and add a dash of balsamic and some parsley, for finishing.

3. Spoon some couscous into a bowl. Top with some black beans and the mushroom mixture. Finish with the feta.

4. Proceed to your desk (or not. not might be better).

**NOTE: Of course, as always in cooking, feel free to modify this loose recipe. i.e. goat cheese instead of feta, add some sauteed spinach, use brown rice or spaghetti instead of couscous, experiment with wild mushrooms…etc. etc. etc.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet

21 Jan

Oh yes, this dripping cone of chocolate heaven is SORBET. No cream, no milk, no egg yolks…but no skimping on the rich chocolate flavor. Oh no, no skimping. This is as pure as a frozen chocolate treat can get. Joanne Chang, the owner of a popular Boston bakery called Flour is responsible for this bittersweet chocolate sorbet recipe. She describes the taste perfectly: “It tastes like a frozen deep, dark chocolate bar.” Oh, lordy I couldn’t describe it better myself!

I was just in New York and discovered that there are some REALLY GOOD hot chocolates to drink out there. Like REALLY REALLY GOOD, especially when you dip a pretzel croissant into your hot chocolate. This sorbet tastes like the dark hot chocolates that I was drinking just a few weeks ago, but frozen.

I had some organic vegan ice cream cones on-hand that I used to make red velvet cupcake cones a short while ago, and these cones were a great way to enjoy this bittersweet chocolate sorbet.

I very much enjoy the process of making ice cream. I like the whole heat the milk, temper in the egg yolks, and pour into cold cream thing. But with this sorbet, I get to do the make a nice caramel, add some cocoa powder, and pour everything over chopped chocolate thing. I like this, too.

Chang provides a nice food-science explanation for using caramelized sugar instead of pure sugar in her bittersweet chocolate sorbet recipe:

“…caramelize the sugar before combining it with the sorbet base. Because there is no cream or milk in this recipe, it is a challenge to create a smooth, creamy texture. Caramelizing the sugar means you can use more sugar than you would normally (since straight sugar is pure sweet and the sweetness of the caramelized sugar is offset by its characteristic bitterness). The extra sugar-disguised-as-caramel helps to lower the freezing point of the sorbet base, which means it won’t freeze solid. The result is a creamier, softer, not-icy treat.”


Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet

from Joanne Chang’s book, Flour

makes about 1 quart

1 cup (200 grams) sugar

3 1/2 cups (840 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

4 ounces (114 grams) bittersweet chocolate (60-70 % cacao), finely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Put the sugar in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup (120 grams) of the water and gently swirl the pan to moisten the sugar. Place the pan over high heat and leave it undisturbed until the contents come to a rolling boil. Then continue to boil rapidly without moving the pan until the sugar syrup starts to caramelize. This will take 3 to 4 minutes: the sugar syrup will boil furiously, then as it thickens it will boil more languidly, and then you will see some of the syrup start to color and darken around the edge of the pan.

When you see color in the pan, gently swirl it in a circular motion so the sugar caramelizes evenly, and then keep swirling gently until the caramel is a medium golden brown. Turn down the heat to low and slowly and carefully add the remaining 3 cups (720 grams) water. Be careful, because it will sputter and spatter when it hits the caramel. The caramel will harden at the bottom of the pan; turn up the heat to high, bring the mixture back to a boil, and whisk for a few minutes until the caramel fully dissolves. Then whisk in the cocoa powder until fully dissolved.

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot caramelized liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a container, and whisk in the vanilla and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until cold.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Sorbet can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

>Maple Sesame Salmon with Whole Wheat Couscous and Sauteed Green Beans

18 Jan

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Boy do I love the broiler. The broiler can melt cheese until it is gooey and golden brown and the broiler can char my fish until it has the perfect plum-color surface. Two very good things.

This salmon is marinated in a sweet and salty mixture of maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. I added a few chili flakes for a mild kick. Into the oven on a high broiler setting (425-450 deg. F). I sprinkled sesame seeds atop the fillets just a few minutes before the salmon was finished baking.

Served on a bed of whole wheat couscous (only takes 5 min. to cook) and sauteed garlic green beans, I’d say this is a beautifully balanced meal.


Maple Sesame Salmon

From “And then I do the dishes“

Salmon fillets (enough for 4-6 people; have them de-bone the fish at the market)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or Sriracha sauce

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Mix all ingredients except the salmon and sesame seeds. Using either a bowl or a ziplock bag, place the salmon in the marinade and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean-up). Turn on the broiler to 425-450 deg F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Place the salmon on the baking sheet (skin side up) and bake for 10-25 minutes (depending on your fish size and oven, just check it every so often). Baste every so often with the marinade. Flip the salmon over halfway through cooking. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top during the last few minutes of baking. The salmon will be ready when flaked with a fork and done on the inside (opaque flesh).

This makes great left-overs to take for lunch, too. So long lunch rut (for now, anyway).

Sauteed Garlic Green Beans

adapted from Eating Well

Olive oil
1 pound of green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 chopped garlic cloves
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Heat a pan with olive oil over med-high heat. Add the green beans and cook, stirring often, about 2-3 minutes until seared in spots. Reduce heat to medium, add water, cover, and cook about 3 minutes more. Take off the cover to ensure that all the water is evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Finish with balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper.

I’m in a Lunch Rut, So I Made Egg Salad

17 Jan


What to eat for lunch? What to pack for lunch? I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten a pb&j or a turkey sandwich for lunch. School is about to start again and I need some new ideas to keep me fueled throughout my busy day.

Joy the Baker made egg salad look oh so tempting. So I made it. And now I have lunch for the next two days or so (I halved her recipe).


The first step is to hard-boil some eggs. If you don’t have your own method, I recommend using this one.


With some nice herbs and aromatics and good mustard, egg salad can go from drab to dapper in no time. I even added a touch of minced preserved lemon that I canned a few weeks ago.



Egg Salad a la Joy The Baker

Makes roughly 2-3 servings worth

4 eggs hard-boiled, peeled, and cut in half (again use this as a reference)

2 tablespoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon mustard (Dijon, whole grain…)

1-2 teaspoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (feel free to use another herb if you prefer)

1 tablespoon minced shallot (again you could use red onion, scallion, green garlic…)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (I didn’t have lemon juice so I used minced preserved lemon + a bit of vinegar, cider or white is good)

salt and pepper, to taste

bread, for sandwiches

1. Dump all ingredients into a bowl and break it up/mix with a fork until everything is incorporated to the consistency of your choice. Spoon onto (toasty) grainy bread for a nice sandwich.

Keeps up to 4 days in the fridge.

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