pavlova!

im making my way down the list of my 2014 cooking goals. cooking & baking dishes that always seemed to intimidate me.  a few weeks ago i had a girlfriends day in date with my gf & off we were to making pavlova! she gave me a few tips regarding baking meringue as i remembered cooking them in the past & my meringue never turned out right. hence, why its on my 2014 cooking goals. it turned out aboslutely perfect with enough crunch & chewiness! it was a success & i was happy the turn out. i made fresh the whipped topping & cut up strawberries & mango. what i love about the pavlova is the flexibility in taste by changing up the fruits based on whats in season! i can envision an autumn pavlova with figs, apples, & pears! 

compost cookie

last week i tried my hand at baking compost cookies inspired by momofuku milkbars recipe. i stopped by spun sugar to pick up the glucose powder it called for & got to baking. 

given that i gave up my processed & artificial sugar for the month of february, i couldn't taste the final product. however, i was assured by the compliments that this recipe is a keeper. i made the cookies smaller than what the recipe called for so instead of baking it for 18 minutes, i changed the baking time to 8 minutes. 

recipe:

• 225 grams (16 Tbsp. or 2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 150 grams (2⁄3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
• 50 grams (2 Tbsp.) glucose
• 1 egg
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) vanilla extract
• 225 grams (1 1/3 cups) flour
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) baking powder
• 1 1/2 grams (1/4 tsp.) baking soda
• 4 grams (1 tsp.) kosher salt
• 150 grams (3/4 cup) mini chocolate chips
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) mini butterscotch chips
• 1/4 recipe Graham Crust (85 grams or 1/2 cup; see separate recipe)
• 40 grams (1/3 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5 grams (2 1/2 tsp.) ground coffee
• 50 grams (2 cups) potato chips
• 50 grams (1 cup) mini pretzels

directions:

Combine the butter, sugars and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. 

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. 

Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats and coffee, and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels, and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. (You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.) 

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly. 

Heat the oven to 375°. 

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if that's not the case. 

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Pasta & Flan

for two months my church has gathered to cook & provide meals for my pastor & his growing family. i can only imagine how crazy it must be for a mom when a new baby arrives, so i love kind & thoughtful gestures like these that help in ways that can make a huge difference in someones day.

it was my turn to cook so i opted for a simple pasta salad. fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, & chicken apple sausage tossed in pasta with roasted garlic. for dessert i made the leche flan (creme caramel). it was my first time & i was sure it would become this discombabulaated mess after i attempted to flip & take it out of its mold..but to my surprise it came out perfect & in tact! i made two & gave the other to hubby & his co workers.

since i gave up sugar for this month i didn't get to taste it, so i relied on the verdict of the hubby & his co workers. turns out they loved it! a recipe success. i'll be adding this one to my recipe book. 

LOVE day

this year was our first valentines as husband & wife. in the past we usually avoid the crowds & have a day date instead of dinner out. this valentines we decided to keep it low key, so the hubby & i stayed in & he cooked most of our dinner. it's such a nice treat for me since i usually do the cooking. 

he made my favorite (his version is truly the best! even better than olive garden) zuppa toscanna soup & bbq-ed rib eye steaks for us. i roasted brussel sprouts & lightly tossed then in balsamic reduction. our dinner was absolutely delicious!

i was so hungry that I didn't get a chance to take photos. however, i did take a photo of the soup prep & triple chocolate brownies i baked his co-workers. the brownies were made a festive with cake toppers i made the night before & i decorated the kitchen with heart garlands i crafted & reused from the previous year. 

                                      

mississippi crock pot

i saw this recipe floating around pinterest so i thought id give it a try. butter? yes! pepperoccini? heck yes! super tender meat? oh yeah! i set the crock pot over night so it would be ready by morning to pack for lunch at work. it took me less than 5 minutes to prep..so very quick & easy!

most reviews for this pot roast were promising. i don't think i saw more than one complaint or alteration amongst the reviews. however, while delicious i would definitely lessen the amount of butter next time around. the sauce was delicious but one whole stick was to much for the hubby & i. id like to add in some mushrooms & carrots too. 

mississippi crock pot: 

1 beef roast 

1 pack dry ranch dressing mix

1 pack dry au jus mix

handful of pepperoccini 

1 stick of butter 

1) dump everything in the crockpot

2) set on low for 8 hours

3) enjoy! 

the three B's

today i was in a hurry to cook lunch that doubled as my dinner to take to work. had some brussel sprouts & bacon in the fridge so i quickly made my no fail dish. balsamic glazed bacon & brussel sprouts. two birds with one stone & oh so yummy!

kielbasa skillet recipe

today, i finally got started on the laundry, unpacking, & cleaning that i needed to start. i have been putting off everything that needs to be tackled, since coming back, due to crazy times of waking up & sleeping, only to have a difficult time going back to sleep. major jet lag. yesterday, i decided that it was time to use an over the counter sleep aid to help me re-adjust back to normal sleeping times. i slept early & woke up at a decent time. hooray!

anyhow, today's lunch was a savory homemade kielbasa dish. the recipe is as follows. 

1 onion (diced)

1 pack of smoked kielbasa (cut diagonally)

2 red potatoes (diced)

1 yellow potato (diced)

handful of baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp dijon mustard 

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1) chop potatos & fry in oil 

2) set fried potatos aside & add in sliced keilbasa & onions. cook until brown.

3) add in dijon mustard, cider vinegar, & brown sugar to onions & keilbasa. add in potato. stir everything together. add in spinach until it reduces in size & wilts. 

enjoy with rice or eat as is! 

torta

that little pile of omelette stacks may not look the most appealing but it is hubby's favorite filipino food. ground beef, eggs, garlic, potatoes, onion, & tomato mixture with rice & a dalop of ketchup on the side. he can eat this for breakfast, lunch, & dinner! 

brown apple betty

i made my first brown apple betty last fall & it's something that i knew would become tradition every autumn & winter season. 

it's one of those "i don't have anything in my fridge or pantry" desserts that's so easy to throw together. after tearing/slicing apart pieces of bread (any bread works wonderfully) & slicing up some fruit (any seasonal fruit works from apples, pears, or peaches) you're not to far from a comforting dessert that's just as delicious as a traditional fruit pie or cobbler. it's so easy to make using only five ingredients! after layering the bottom of my pyrex with apple slices (i used 3 apples) i sprinkled one cup of brown sugar on top of the fruit slices. then i lay the sliced pieces of bread at the top. i add i cup of melted butter, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon, & bake in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

no need to worry about making the  crust. the crunch of the bread gives this dessert a nice texture. it takes me about 20 minutes to make & its easier than pie! add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dalop of whip cream & you've got a delicious & comforting all american dessert!

thanksgiving 2013

my efforts to sleep are proving to be futile as im up an hour after since my last post. i got to scrolling through my photos & noticed most of my home cooking photos are absent. i had hoped to catch up my blog with my cooking adventures but alas those photos are long gone. i made the terrible mistake of switching out of an iphone after the hubs accidentally placed my phone in the washer. thought it might be time to switch to a phone with a bigger screen for my korean dramas. lesson learned to never switch out of the intuitive smartness & simplicity of an iphone for customizable features (i hardly used them). i came across several problems with my samsung S4 after having had it only for only 4 months. i switched back. 

while aimlessly scrolling through my photos i came across thanksgiving pictures. my contribution this year was a cambodian noodle dish i learned from a friends sister. i had it at their family party & couldn't enough of it. it was my second time making it & it proved to be a success based on opinions at our thanksgiving gathering. 

i started by soaking peppers in water to soften them for the dressing. it looks like it may cause high levels of spiciness but on the contrary it only adds flavor. those who weren't fond of spicy foods couldn't detect it, so it was safe for all to eat.

 i transported the different elements of my crispy noodle cambodian salad separately so that it remained crunchy until it was ready for serving. 

arrived & everyone had a huge feast! so very thankful to be able to eat an abundance good food with good people! we feasted on the traditional turkey, honeybaked ham, cranberry sauce, pancit, lumpia, & crabs to name a few of the deliciousness that lay before my eyes. a filipino/american menu is always a winner in my book during the holidays! 

2014 cooking goals

as the hubby & i lay in bed at 4:46(am), attempting to fight off another day of jet lag we got to thinking about what we'll eat tomorrow. we agreed a trip to the grocery store is definitely a must since we haven't been home in almost a month..which got me thinking about cooking goals for 2014. id like to perfect & knock off a few recipes from my list. some are:

1) a delicious crisp pavlova 

2) tender irish corn beef & cabbage 

3) an aesthetically pleasing charcuterie that is full of taste & different textures

4) momofuku inspired compost cookie

5) learning 5-10 different tapas

6) spicy thai pork laab

7) pot roast 

8) chicken piccata sauce (many tries later & i still can't strike the right balance)

9) turkey chili 

10) bbq rib eye 

Eggplant Omelette

tortang talong (eggplant omelette) is one of my favorite filipino dishes. it's easy to make & comforting to eat. with lots of ketchup of course!  it transports me back to lunches sitting around the table with my tita's & cousins.

purple beans

tuesday at the farmer's market has become my ritual after work outs with my trainer. i stock up on seasonal fruits & veggies to get us through the week. green beans are a staple in my vegetable drawer so i switched it up when these purple long beans caught my eye. i love purple potatoes so i thought i may give these a try. i baked these with a medley of veggies & salmon for dinner one night. the next day i stir fried them with chicken & veggies & added in red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.

another food post

stuffed bell peppers are one of those meals that i seem to whip up when i don't want to give lunch/dinner to much thought. i much prefer yellow & orange bell peppers to any other colored peppers as the taste is lighter unlike the slight bitters of green or sweetness of red peppers. lean ground beef & rice is always a winning combo in my book!

vegetarianism

ive noticed over the past several weeks, that meals ive been cooking are vegetarian friendly. im not planning on becoming a vegetarian as its difficult for me to give up filipino food but the accidental commitment to increase meal recipe sans meat (not that i eat much if it anyhow) is helpful when i plan meals for both the fiancé (he's a pescatarian) & i.

the fiancé is a fan of my eggplant parmesan & i always make extra to pack for our lunches.

BIG 30!

a few days ago the fiancé celebrated his 30th birthday. on the actual day of we kept it low key & his mom, sister, & i cooked a huge dinner. he even had 2 cakes..30 is huge after all. :) we were all so stuffed afterwards!

it was also another good excuse to craft a few things. i made him cake toppers. one was a banner. another were glitter stars from a previous project & sparkly pom poms to mimic candles since i forgot to buy some at the store.

brussels sprouts + bacon

one of my favorite meals to whip up is brussels sprouts with bacon & caramelized onions. it's quick, easy, filling, & oh so flavorful! the idea of using turkey bacon, just now popped into my head as im typing this, so that will be my next version to try..with turkey bacon! a much healthier alternative & hoping it will taste just as amazing! when i make it i use 2 pounds of brussel sprouts. perfect for both lunch & dinner as well as for left over eating at work!

banana fana fo fana

ive been craving banana bread lately so i decided to make good use of my recent vintage pyrex acquisition & make some banana bread this morning. warm banana bread is so comforting & with a slither of butter, its perfect for breakfast.

dinner for two

tonight's dinner consisted of eggplant parmesan & clams in linguine pasta. i find that these divided pyrex dishes are just the perfect size for home cooked meals between the fiancé & i.

Brrrrr..It's Cold In Here

cold winter nights are a great excuse for me to keep on tweaking my hot chocolate recipe until im happy with the balance of cocoa & spices. hot cocoa from scratch + freshly made whip cream is such a lovely combination during these cold cold months.