Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

They say to never judge a book by its cover. How about judging a food by its name? I may be crazy to have listened to my mother, as I did by not eating a Sloppy Joe until a few years ago, and in this case not eating Whoopie Pie's until last year! In all fairness, I had only tried 2 or 3 flavors prior to baking these, but as soon as I tried them I was instantly smitten. For those of you out there, who like my mother are put off by certain words you may have a bias against, such as whoopie (possibly by associating this word with these);  and have never tried one of these delicious treats; a whoopie pie is the perfect mixture of a soft cookie sandwich, but with a cake consistency- so lets' just say its a cupcake-cookie sandwich. 

With fall swiftly approaching, I had been itching to bake something pumpkin flavored. I eventually stumbled upon this recipe, and knew it was the perfect recipe to satisfy my pumpkin craving. Even though they turned out great, I'll definitely be purchasing this mold before I make my next batch.

Cake Mixture:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
Pumpkin seeds, as garnish

 Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a medium to large bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a large mixing bowl blend the softened butter with both sugars. Then add the egg, vanilla and pumpkin (I measured out of a 15 oz can). Mix for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Slowly add the dry blend at a low speed until all is fully mixed.

To get similar sizes for each layer, use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon (measure spoon) onto parchment paper. Make sure to leave enough space between each for them to expand as they are baking. If you want to add the pumpkin seed garnish, put 3-4 over the top. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar-sifted
1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Once the butter is at room temperature, beat the butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and blend well. If its too dry add a tsp sugar. Add maple syrup vanilla and cinnamon and beat for 1 minute.

Chicken "Mozzarella" Sammies

I love sandwiches in many different forms, but I always end up eating them during lunch. Every once in a while I'll do sandwiches for dinner, as seen here. What I end up incorporating into dinner sandwiches, are types of food I'd prepare as an entree for dinner, in order to make them a little heartier than a basic ham and cheese sandwich.

The thing about chicken parmesan that gets to me is the name. I understand that parmesan cheese is typically sprinkled over the mozzarella once its baked, but the real cheese that gives the texture and taste is the mozzarella. I always prefer using the real mozzarella di bufala, the way it melts with the marinara sauce it creates a smoothe yet rich tasting coat to chicken. When paired with the toasted bread and the cool pesto, it makes a delicious sandwhich I would make anytime for a hearty dinner.

Basil Pesto Ingredients:

1 large bunch fresh basil, about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic
1 palm-full of toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese

Combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until its coarsely chopped, . Add the olive oil and the cheese, hold pulse for about 10-15 seconds to fully incorporate the olive oil, but make sure not to over process as we want some texture in the pesto, not too smooth. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Chicken Parm Ingredients:

2-3 Panini loaves
4-6 chicken breast cutlets
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 cups bread crumbs
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 cup marinara sauce
 Sliced Mozzarella

If you can buy chicken breasts that are already flat, around 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Most times they are labeled as thin cutlets. Get 3 medium shallow bowls and place side by side. In the first add the flour, paprika and garlic powder, mix well. In the next one, add the milk, you can also use 2 beaten eggs, but I feel the milk is a little lighter. The third bowl gets the bread crumbs. (I normally start with about 1/2 the breadcrumbs, and refill as needed).  Lightly season each breast with salt and pepper on both sides, then lightly coat with the flour mixture. Then dredge into the milk, and lastly into the bread crumbs. Make sure to shake off any excess between steps.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Once all of the breasts are coated, cook over a thin layer of vegetable oil until golden in color, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Make sure not to over crowd the pan as the cutlets are cooking. Once all the chicken is cooked, place on a baking sheet. Put about 2 tbsp marinara sauce on each chicken and top with mozzarella slices. Feel free to use mozzarella deli slices or if you have on hand fresh mozzarella. Put in oven until the cheese melts.

For sandwich assembly, lather the bread with the basil pesto on both sides of the bread, add chicken. Then I toast the bread by cooking for a few minutes on a cast iron skillet on each side.You want to try to get the bread as flat as possible, so if you have a cooking brick, use that, otherwise, get your heaviest pan and place on top of the bread. Cook until golden and enjoy!

Braised Short Ribs

Whenever I eat out at restaurants, I tend to choose dishes that I don't "feel" I could make easily myself. For example, I rarely ever order chicken as an entree. Not that I don't love chicken, but I feel I can make some pretty great chicken recipes myself, and even premium free-range chicken is relatively cheap compared to other red meats, so I tend to cook it pretty frequently.

One of my go-to meals whenever I do eat out is Braised Short Ribs. I'm not sure what it is about this as a feature-bone in over some mashed potatoes. Regardless of the type of cuisine,the general outcome is more than stellar.

About a year ago, I ended up buying some short ribs, and attempted to do them myself. Let me tell you, not only was my initial attempt a success, but the overall process was so simple, it instantly became a favorite dish to "wow" friends for dinner. The following is a pretty simple recipe, that only really requires about 20 minutes of prep/active cook time, and the end result is more than worth every second of it.

This recipe feeds 4-5 people, but be forewarned, try to buy a little extra as you'll definitely want more!

Ingredients:

5-6 bone-in short ribs (about  4 pounds)

2-3 tbsp flour (enough to coat the ribs)

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 1/2 cups tomato paste

2 to 3 cups hearty red wine

2 cups water

1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

2 bay leaves

You want to use a pot that is large enough to accommodate all the meat, and preferably one that is oven-safe, such as a dutch oven or a cast aluminum pot or "caldero". Season each short rib with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with the flour. Coat a pot with olive oil over high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. only if you have an oven-safe pot, otherwise, you can cook over the stove top at a medium low heat for anywhere between 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the short ribs.

If you have chopped all the veggies before, you can puree them and the garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Otherwise, once all your short ribs are browned, turn off the pan while you prep your vegetables.

When the short ribs are brown and have a nice crust on all sides, remove them from the pan and set aside. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it browns. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours, or lower the heat, cover and leave on stove top. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve on large platter and pour the remainder of the braising liquid over.

Risotto Balls

I rarely make appetizers before dinner, unless I make something that requires a fair amount of prep work or that has a long cook time. This week I made a simple lemon risotto for dinner and ended up with plenty of leftovers, by plenty I mean around 2 cups of the cooked risotto. I had tried some fried rice balls, or better known as Arancini at a couple Italian restaurants, and decided to give these little fritters a shot.

There really is no science to make these. I decided to take my leftovers out about 20 minutes before cooking them, just to make sure that the rice was cold in the center after frying. Other than that all there is to it is: Take about 1 tbsp of the rice and making a little ball out of it. Dunk it into milk (or an egg wash) and then coat in bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown.

I used my basic Risotto recipe, as seen here. But the only thing I did differently was use 1 lemon, instead of 2 and I omitted the vegetables. You can definitely add peas, or other small cut veggies into the risotto as long as it stays relatively "bite-sized". Once fried, let them cool for a minute and grate some fresh cheese on top, eat immediately!

Quick & Easy Chocolate Mousse

For a few weeks I've been craving chocolate pudding, so I've been reading up several recipes and I couldn't decide which one to try out. Finally I ended up seeing this recipe for chocolate mousse, but it seemed so easy that I couldn't resist but to try it out immediately. 

While the flavor was good, I didn't like the texture I ended up with, at all. Partly may have been that I used good quality bar chocolate versus chocolate chips, but I the blender didn't get me that silky and creamy texture I was yearning for, but I enjoy the flavor. So I gave the recipe another go, but this time decided to spend an extra 5-10 minutes melting the chocolate over a double boiler. If you don't have an actual double boiler, which I don't, simply put a little water into a small saucepan and put a bowl over it, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Once the chocolate was fully melted and smooth I transferred to the blender and proceeded with the original recipe. The result once they set in the fridge for a couple hours, simply amazing. 

The other thing I did differently was use a blend of chocolate. As much as I love dark chocolate, I don't always want that rich taste. So I used about 6 oz milk chocolate and 1 oz dark chocolate with mint! The result: Amazing! The mixture was generously chocolaty flavored, but fresh and crisp from the mint. Better yet it was light and smooth, but also gave me the sense of a perfect hybrid between a mousse and pudding, which is exactly what I wanted in the first place!

Ingredients:

7 oz chocolate

1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg



Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once fully melted pour into a blender. Add the boiling water and blend for 10-15 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and blend for another 15 seconds. Pour into dessert dishes and refrigerate until they are set, usually around 2-3 hours. If you're patient enough, they are even better the next day.

Not-So "Sloppy" Joe's

I had never tried a Sloppy Joe, up until a couple of years' ago. I think it may have been a combination of growing up abroad and that my mother would automatically refuse to give us anything to eat that had the word "sloppy" in its name. Either way, I was finally convinced to make one by my boyfriend who grew up eating them as a kid. I obviously had no idea what it was supposed to taste like, and pretty much all I knew of them was typical pop culture references on TV or some cooking show; so I resorted to using the dry package. I was eventually able to come up with my own version of this American classic.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup onion

1.5 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

4 Buns (Kaiser Rolls)

Finely chop 1/4 cup of onion. Saute until translucent and add the ground beef, mix well so the onions are evenly distributed with the meat. Add the salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder and mix well. Once the beef has cooked through add the tomato sauce and mix well. At the beginning its going to seem overly liquid, but it will cook down. Once the tomato sauce has reduced in half add the Worcestershire sauce and the sugar. Cook for another 5 minutes until the mixture is a nice and saucy.

I always like to serve on a toasted bun, preferably kaiser rolls, and pair with another comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Feel free to swap out ground beef for ground turkey, the condiments and sauce are what help give this dish a huge boost of flavor.

Linguini with Lemon, Garlic & Dill Sauce

During my recent mini-vacation in Costa Rica, I had my fair share of rice & beans to last me through the end of the week. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE rice and beans but in Costa Rica, they eat them every single day for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner! And yes, you read right, they eat the combo so much they even have it during breakfast, which is known as Gallo Pinto. Now this particular post is not about the great food I had during the trip, but more about me not being able to eat rice for about a week.

My first night back I decided to make a light and easy pasta dish, infused with different flavors that I didn't consume much during said vacation. I also knew that I wanted to make something that would be quick and only required minimum prep. My entire prep was done while I was bringing water for the pasta to a boil, and then cooked the chicken at the same time as the pasta was cooking. The picture unfortunately doesn't do the actual flavors in this dish any justice. Its light, but slightly creamy and full of bright fresh flavors that the lemon and dill bring to this dish.

Ingredients:
1 lb.chicken
1 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. garlic
1 1/2 tbsp.fresh dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp.pepper
Drizzle olive oil
1/4 cup Mozzarella

Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch bite sized pieces and place in large skillet. Juice the lemons and pour right over the chicken. Finely mince the garlic and add to chicken. Mix well and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook over medium flame. (You can also marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes as well.)

Once the water has come to a full boil you can add your pasta and cook to al dente. Strain but keep about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the chicken mixture and blend well. For the mozzarella, I used Buffalo Mozzarella, the small round ones and broke them apart into small pieces and tossed it with the pasta. I used about 4 of the small balls, once broken apart is about 1/4 cup. Once the cheese starts melting into the pasta, slowly add some of the pasta water and mix frequently as this will start creating a nice light and slightly creamy sauce. Serve immediately.

For those of you who have never used reserve pasta water for thickening a sauce, i think this link is pretty helpful in explaining it.