Cupcakes for a New Year's Crowd

Cupcakes for a New Year's Crowd
I got this cupcake recipe from Cook's Illustrated and they are delicious with a few of my changes. My parents are having over a dozen people over for New Years tonight and I am in charge of cupcakes.

Cupcakes:
7.5 ounces (1 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
7 ounces (1 cup) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 large egg, plus 2 yolks

Glaze/Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine

Glaze/Frosting:
Place the chocolate in a at least 3 cup bowl and set aside. Heat the cream to almost to a boil in a sauce pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until it is smooth. Set aside at room temperature.

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line -12 cup muffin pans with liners and set aside.

Add ALL the ingredients into a bowl of standmixer and mix until well combined.
Divide between 12 cups and bake for 18-20 minutes in the middle of the oven(rotate the cupcakes after 10 minutes).

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans. Dip the cupcakes into the glaze and set aside. After you dip all the cupcakes, you will have about half of glaze left. Refrigerate it until it is consistency of lightly whipped cream (should take about 10-20 minutes in the fridge).

Whip the chocolate with hand held mixer until consistency of mousse, but do not over whip. Squeeze frosting through a piping bag on top of each cupcake right away. Do not wait too long (not even 10 minutes) to pipe the frosting because it sets up quickly.

Set aside at room temperature (can be frozen, just defrost at room temperature).

Cranberry Cookies in a Jar

I have seen jars of cookie mix in stores and they look so cute. I just love the idea, but have never bought them because most of the time (well actually, always) the ingredient list was scary. This Christmas I thought that I should try to make and give away these cookie mixes in a jar. I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com and tried it with a few changes. Oh my goodness, the jars are adorable and the cookies were exceptional. I never thought that a cookie could be that good from a 'mix'!

Pick a nice, clean jar that is big enough to hold the mix. I used 24 ounce pasta sauce jars. I made cloth covers for the top by cutting out a 7 inch circle of cloth with pinking shears and tied it with a ribbon. Attach a cute card with instructions and that's it.

Cranberry Cookies in a Jar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided in half
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (you can also substitute dark chocolate chips)
1/2 cup lightly toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds), whole or roughly chopped

Layer the ingredients (from bottom to top) carefully, trying to keep the layers separate from each other.

                   half of flour (BOTTOM)
                   rolled oats
                   the other half of flour
                   baking soda
                   salt
                   brown sugar
                   cranberries
                   chocolate chips
                   pecans (TOP)

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a bowl or stand mixer, beat together 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter (at room temperature) with 1/3 cup sugar for 1 minute. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix to combine. Add the entire jar and mix until well combined.

Form dough into the size of golf balls and space the balls about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden (about 15 minutes). The cookies will be soft and soft in the center, but will firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.

House for Gingerbread People

I love making gingerbread house for Christmas. Last year I made a huge house but that took a lot of space and time. This year I made it a lot smaller and it was fast and easy. You will have a lot of gingerbread dough left over so you can make a village or cut out some ginger people.

House for Gingerbread People

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
130 grams honey
40 grams black strap molasses
2 eggs

In a bowl, cream butter, sugar, honey and molasses until light. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. The batter will look curdled. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Form the dough into a disk and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out.

For the house, you will need two of each (measured in inches). Make templates out of cardboard that you can use to cut the raw dough out with.

                       Side walls: 3 x 2 3/4 rectangle
                       Roof:  3 1/2 x 2 1/4 rectangle
                       Front and back of house:  2 x 1 3/4 rectangle on top of 1 3/4 high triangle with 2 inch wide base.

To bake the house pieces, roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut out the shapes. Bake at 375 F until firm.

To make glass windows, cut out widows out of the shape and bake it. During the last minutes of baking, place crushed pieces of hard candy into the holes and bake until the candy melts. Remove and let the cookies cool completely before moving them.

To assemble the house, dip the edges of cookies into icing and assemble it on the desired surface. Let the sides dry first before adding the roof. It is easier to decorate the roof before sticking it on the house. Spread the icing around the house and use candy and your imagination to decorate it.

Dust the house with confectioner sugar to make it look like fresh fallen snow.

Royal Icing
8 ounces powdered sugar
2 tablespoons powdered egg whites
3 tablespoons water

Beat all ingredients until smooth and thick.

Thanksgiving Stuffing and Turkey

I love Thanksgiving! The cooking and smells are relaxing to me. I always make a turkey and stuffing a certain way. Both of these are done the day before, so that on the big day I just have to turn on the oven.

The turkey is soaked in a mixture of salt and sugar, flavoring it and giving it a moist texture. The stuffing complements the turkey beautifully. I made some changes to it, but the original recipe came from America's Test Kitchen.  

I start the turkey brine no later than 8 am the day before Thanksgiving. That way the turkey does not have to cut into your bed time when it is ready to be taken out in 12 hours. 

Roast Turkey

12-14 pounds turkey

Step 1: Brining

1/2 cup kosher salt or 1/4 cup table salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 cups cool water

If your fridge does not have room for turkey to brine, use need to use a cooler and have a lot of icepacks on hand  (you need the temperature to be below 40 F during the entire brining time).

Dissolve salt, sugar and water in a large cooler or another large container. Be sure that all of the sugar and salt get dissolved. Slide the bird into the container.

You may need to increase the brining ingredients depending on the size of your brining container (keep the proportions the same). You need enough brine to just cover the bird.

Leave the chest on the counter or place the container on the bottom self of the refrigerator for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it well under cool water (do not skip this, otherwise the sugar on the turkey will burn).

Place on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Truss the bird with butcher's twine to help it keep its shape and cook evenly. The Internet has nice videos and pictures on how to do this.

Stuff the cavity with quartered onions and roughly chopped celery and return it to the refrigerator uncovered for 8 to 12 hours. At the end of the 'drying process' the bird will not look like it did when you put it in the fridge. It will have an unappealing bruised look.

Step 2: Roasting

Move the oven rack to the bottom of the oven and remove the rest of the racks (the bird needs a lot of room).

Preheat oven to 400 F. Put a roasting rack on a baking sheet or a big baking dish. Place the bird breast side down and brush with unsalted butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip the bird on its side, brush with butter and bake another 15 minutes. Flip on the other side, brush with butter and bake another 15 minutes. Brush the bird with butter and finish the roast with 45 minutes to hour breast side up. The turkey is done when thigh is 160 F.

 

Remove the bird from the oven when you did all the flips and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Note: the butter may start to burn on the baking sheet and smoke. I add a cup or so of water to the baking sheet to keep it from smoking. When I take the bird out, to keep water from splashing around, I use a turkey baster to suck up the excess liquid.

Stuffing with Sausage, Apricots and Pecans

To prepare the bread cubes, start with a sturdy, rustic bread (I use whole wheat). Cut the crusts off and cube the bread. Spread it on the baking sheet and leave it to dry for 24 hours or bake them in 250 F oven until dry.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing and broken up

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery

1/2 teaspoon dried sage, thyme, marjoram (each), crushed with fingers

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped and soaked overnight in white wine
12 cups dried bread cubes

1 cup chicken stock

3 large eggs

Place the bread cubes in a bowl, big enough for tossing with the rest of ingredients.

Cook the sausage over low heat in a 12 inch skillet until cooked. Transfer to the bowl with bread. Add the oil to the skillet, onion and celery. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the dried herbs and cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to the bowl with bread and sausage.

Add the parsley, pecans and apricots to the bowl and toss to combined. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together and add the chicken stock. Pour over the mixture of bread crumbs and toss to combine. Place into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day.

On the day of Thanksgiving, remove the wrap, and cover with foil. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Hot Cocoa Mix

I really love hot cocoa, but usually are to lazy to make it. This cocoa is easy to make and you can make a cup when ever you like. The chocolate in the mix melts and you get a nice layer of chocolate goo on the bottom of the cup.

I topped mine with some homemade marshmallows.

The recipe makes about 5 2/3 cups, which is enough for 17 servings.

Hot Cocoa Mix
3 cups powdered milk
1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, natural or Dutch processed
1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
mini marshmallows, optional

Combine chocolate and sugar in a food processor and run until the chocolate is finely chopped. Combine with the rest of ingredients and transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

To make a cup of cocoa, heat up 1 cup of milk until very hot and then add 1/3 cup mix. Stir well and top with small marshmallows or whipped cream.

Cranberry Galette

I went to the store today and cranberries are finally here. Yeha! I love cranberries and made some canned cranberry sauce and this galette. I think that galette and crostata are the same thing, just depends on if you are French or Italian. I thought that galette sounds more fancy. Anyways this turned out really tasty and I made it with whole wheat flour.

Use an extra 1/4 cup of sugar if you like you tart on the sweeter side. My tart (with 1/2 cup) turned out tart but still sweet. I like it like that.

Cranberry Galette

Crust

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup cake flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water, ice cold
1 tablespoon vodka

Filling

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, do not thaw)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar, add another 1/4 cup if you like it sweet

handful raw walnuts, chopped coarse

To make the crust, pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse a 5 times. Add the oil, water and vodka and pulse until the dough forms little pebbles. Dump onto work surface and press the pebbles together. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the filling, combine cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes and cool to room temperature. You can transfer it to a dish, refrigerate and finish the pie in the next two days.

To assemble, place the crust dough on parchment paper (or silpat, but not wax paper) and sprinkle with flour. Roll to about 9 inch circle. Spoon the filling in the center and leave 1 1/2 inch border empty. Fold the dough over the filling using the parchment paper to help you. Sprinkle the walnuts on top. Brush the sides with milk or heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse or plain sugar.

Bake galette in the center of the oven at 400 F for about 20-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove and cool to room temperature.

Cut into 8 slices with a serrated knife. It is best to cut the galette by firmly pressing on the knife across the whole galette. Cutting in sawing motion will cause it to crumble.

Caramel Popcorn

This corn is so crunchy and sweet. I love to add it to my unsweetened Cheerios in the morning - they provide just enough sweetness. You can also add some toasted nuts and dried fruit and have really tasty trail mix.

I make popcorn in a machine that pops it with hot air and no oil. I use 10 tablespoons of kernels to make 16 cups of popcorn.

Caramel Popcorn

16 cups popcorn
2 tablespoon molasses
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 200 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Set the popcorn in a really big bowl.

In a saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, butter, oil, honey and salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally. Add the baking soda and stir until foamy. Pour over the popcorn and toss to coat with a rubber spatula. Turn onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, occasionally turning the corn. Remove and toss every 5 minutes until cool.

Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin

Pumpkins are so cheap at this time that I had to buy a bunch of them. I made some pumpkin and I thought that it would be great to served in a pumpkin 'soup bowl'.

Get a pumpkin that is 8 to 10 pounds and sits nicely on a flat surface.

Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
30 ounces pumpkin, canned or cooked cubes of pumpkin

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or coconut milk
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the top off and trip the sides with a peeler. Be careful not to remove too much because the cap will be too small. Scrape out the seeds and pulp with a spoon and brush the inside and outside with olive oil. Place the shell (up) and cap (cut side down) on a baking sheet and bake the pumpkin for 1 hour at 325 F. The pumpkin should be firm enough to hold the soup, firm to the touch.

While the pumpkin is baking, make the soup. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and curry powder until smooth. Cook for a couple of minutes and then slowly add the water or broth. Bring to a boil and add the pumpkin and half-half. Bring to a simmer and then puree the soup (if using cubed pumpkin) and add soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Heirloom Tomato Pizza with Pesto and Balsamic Syrup

I bought heirloom tomatoes yesterday for a very good price. They were so pretty that I make pizza with them. It is really easy to make and tastes very yummy.

To make Balsamic Syrup, just reduce balsamic vinegar by half. I do this outside because the evaporated vinegar will make your eyes sting.

Heirloom Tomato Pizza with Pesto and Balsamic Syrup

8 ounces raw pizza dough that you like

1/2 -3/4 cup pesto (check out the one on my blog)

Heirloom tomatoes, cut 1/4 inch thick and seeded (about 3 or 4 large ones)

Balsamic syrup

Preheat oven to 400 F. Stretch out the pizza dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Brush with olive oil and place on a pizza stone. Bake until golden, remove and cool.

Spread pesto on top, arrange the tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic syrup. Cut with a serrated knife and serve right away.

German Apple Pancake

I have tried for so long to get this pancake right. I finally did! I never gave up because I just love how this pancake is assembled and how it bakes. The apples are cooked in a cast iron pan and then the batter is made in a blender and poured over the apples. Then you put the stuff in the over and it puffs up. When you take it out, the pancakes sinks and it is so delicious! It is crunchy and soft with a little bit of sweetness from the apples.

I do not peel the apples and prefer to use apples that stand up to cooking. I also like to use cast iron pan and have never used anything else, so don't know how other pans work here. I like cast iron because it holds heat well and I do not have to worry about chemicals doing funky stuff at 450 F.

German Apple Pancake

4 large apples (about 20 ounces), sliced 1/4 to 1/8 inch thin

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Add butter to a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the apples, lemon juice and brown sugar. Toss with a spatula and cook for a couple of minutes. The apples will soften. Add the sugar and cook until the sugar is caramelized, another 5 to 10 minutes. The apples will take on a deep brown color. Be sure to toss the apples frequently to prevent burning.

When the oven has preheated, combine all the ingredients for the batter in a blender. Buzz for 30 seconds on high. Pour the batter in the pan, starting at the edges and working toward the center. Place into the center rack and bake for 20 minutes and then lower the heat to 400 F and bake for another 10 minutes. The pancake will puff up and separate from the edges a little. Do not open the oven during the 30 minutes of baking!

Remove and drizzle the top with honey. Take a chunk out and enjoy. The leftovers are good, so pack it up and refrigerate and eat it up within 24 hours.

Banana Bread

My baby girl loves bananas so I usually have some that are just too ripe to eat. I decided to make banana bread with them yesterday. It was very easy to make. The bread is not too sweet and has a dense crumb.

Aside from the sugar, this bread is not too bad for you. It has a bunch of bananas, whole wheat flour and olive oil.

Banana Bread

2 1/3 cups overripe bananas pressed tight into measuring cups
1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed tight
2 large eggs
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 
Add the bananas to a bowl and mash them well with a potato masher. Add eggs to the bananas and mix with the masher. Add the sugar and oil to the bowl and stir. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
 
Grease a loaf pan with natural shortening and line bottom with parchment paper or put 1/4 cup of sliced almonds or raw oatmeal on the bottom. This prevent the bread from sticking to the bottom. Pour in the batter and if you like sprinkle the top with sliced almonds.
 
Bake at 350 F in the center rack for about 60 minutes or until the top is firm to touch. Let the bread cool completely and then invert out of the pan. I think that is bread is better after it sits for a couple of hours.

Slice into 1/2 - 1 inch slices and enjoy! If the bread is around after 1 day, slice it and freeze it to prevent molding.

makes 1 loaf

Hummus

I love hummus, it is so yummy and rich. I tried hummus in restaurants and was confused why my hummus would never turn out restaurant smooth. I did some online research and found out that if you peel the beans, which is not hard but is tedious, the hummus turns out smooth. You do not have to peel the beans, but your hummus will be a little rough.

Hummus
15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
1/2 cup water, room temperature

Put the garbanzo beans into a large bowl and cover with water. Rub the beans to remove the skins. The skins do not float to the top so you have to swish everything with your hand and then carefully drain the water into the sink. Since the beans are heavy they will stay on the bottom. Most of the skins will come out, but you will have to repeat this couple of times to get all the skins out.

Place the drained garbanzo beans along with everything else into a blender (blender works much better than a food processor). Blend until smooth and transfer mixture to a serving bowl.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle with paprika and finely chopped parsley. Serve with pita bread. YUM!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich the French Toast Way

I am sure that this has an official name, but I do not know it. It is just like making french toast, but with two slices and filling inside. It is really easy and can be made healthy by adding good for you 'stuff'.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich the French Toast Way
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk, any fat
plenty of freshly ground pepper or freshly chopped herbs such as rosemary, oregano
4 slices sturdy whole wheat bread, halfway dry
'Stuff': sliced meat, fresh spinach, good melting or bad melting cheese, ...

Whisk eggs, milk and pepper or herbs in a large shallow bowl (you can also use a large dinner plate).

Place 'stuff' between the two slices of bread and apply any spreads (such as pesto, mustard,...). Now put the other slice on top and dip the sandwich into the custard, just like if you were making french toast. You want the bread slices to absorb some the custard. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the other two slices.

Preheat a 10 or 12 inch skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over low heat until the oil is simmering. Put the soaked sandwich into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes per side or until the cheese melts.

Makes 2 sandwiches

Salsa

This is a great salsa recipe from my father-in-law. I eat it by the bowl. It is that good. I made a few changes to keep it mild, but kept the recipe below the same way I got it from him. Thanks!

1. I did not use the jalapenos, green chiles or habanero. It is just too hot for me. I made it with the 2 yellow chiles and pablano pepper (which is actually not in the original recipe) and it was spicy. The next day the salsa was much more mild. I am not sure why.

2. I did not include any salt or garlic salt. I do not like to eat that much salt. Besides, commercial chips have salt on them already. You can add the salt if you want.

I tried to freeze a little of the salsa and see how it comes out. It was watery and did not have the same texture. The salsa does not freeze well, so eat it up in a couple of days.

Salsa Recipe (Pico de Gallo)
28 oz can whole tomatoes
4 long green chiles
2 short yellow chiles
2 Jalapeños, optional
1 Habanero, optional
4 medium-large tomatoes
2 bunches cilantro
2 bunches green onions
1 white onion
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt

In a blender, blend the following:

Can of tomatoes, two green chilies, one yellow chile, both Jalapeños, the Habanero, the garlic, half the white onion, one bunch of the cilantro, along with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Pour into a large bowl. Note: To keep the salsa cool, seed the chilies.

Slice, dice and add the following:

The tomatoes, the other half of the white onion, the green onions, the rest of the chilies, and the last bunch of the cilantro. Stir and eat.

Tamale Pie

This is very good and very yummy. It is cornbread on top of yummy goodness. You can make the filling 24 hours ahead. Put the filling into the dish and cover with plastic. When ready, make the crust batter and bake as directed.

Filling

1 pound ground beef, as lean as you can get it

1 large onion, chopped fine

6 oz tomato paste

2 cups very finely chopped chard or frozen spinach (no need to defrost)

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoons ground coriander

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoon cornmeal, coarse or fine
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/4 cup lentils, rinsed

3 cups water

14 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Crust

1 cup cornmeal, fine grind

1 cup all purpose flour, (not whole wheat because ww makes it too harsh)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup yogurt, any fat

1/2 cup milk, any fat

Cook meat and onion until the meat is cooked NO OIL in a 12 inch skillet or a dutch oven. Add the spices and the tomato paste. Cook for a couple of minutes to cook the paste. Add the rest of the ingredients, except cheese and vinegar, partially cover and cook until the lentils and quinoa are tender. Add the red wine vinegar. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the filling into an oven safe dish and sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 F.

While the filling cooks, prepare the crust. Combine the dry and wet in two separate bowls. Just before getting the dish out, mix the wet and dry until just combined. Place big scoops of batter over the filling. Spread the batter over the filling with a wet spatula. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Basic Frittata

Frittata is like an omelet, but enriched with meats, veggies, cheese, or what ever you like. This is a very yummy and easy recipe. You can add whatever you want, but make sure that you do not add too much stuff.

In the pictured frittata, I put finely chopped fresh parsley, about 5 sun dried tomatoes that I sliced thin and half of fresh Anaheim chili pepper. I added the chili pepper with the onion and mixed the parsley and tomatoes with the eggs.

Basic Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

6 large eggs

1/4 cup milk, any fat

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add oil to a 10 inch non-stick skillet and preheat the pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the stuff that needs to be cooked. For the basic frittata it is the onion but you would also add for example mushrooms, hot or regular peppers at this point. Season with the salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft.

Turn the broiler on while the stuff is cooking in the pan. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, herbs (such as parsley, thyme, rosemary) until combined. Just before adding the egg mixture, add the garlic to the pan and stir. When you smell the garlic, pour in the egg mixture.

Stir with a rubber spatula. When the eggs become almost done (look curdled, but still soupy) place the eggs under the broiler (middle shelf). The frittata is ready when it is puffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

Remove and slide a rubber spatula over the bottom to release the frittata. Slide on a plate, cut and eat.

It is better fresh, but I think that it tastes just fine the next day.

Serves 4 people

Spaghetti and Meatballs

These meatballs are really tasty and moist.  You can make some spaghetti and meatballs out of them, serve them with a salad or make a sandwich.

You want to use fresh breadcrumbs, not the dry ones from the store. Fresh breadcrumbs are really easy to make. Just put stale or fresh bread into a food processor and process until fine. I prefer to use whole wheat bread. To store the breadcrumbs just put into a bag and keep in the freezer.

When tossing the meat together with the rest of the ingredients, be gentle. You do not want to force the meat together too much because that will result in a dense meatball. You want a light and fluffy meatball. Use your fingertips to toss the meat.

To make 12 even sized balls, divide the meat in half and then divide each half in half pieces. Divide each of the 4 pieces into 3 to get 12 meatballs.

I steam and then brown the meatballs. This is not how normal meatballs are cooked. I prefer to steam them for health reasons and then brown them for look and taste.

You can freeze cooked meatballs, well wrapped, for up to a month. Defrost in the refrigerator.

Meatballs

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon plain yogurt, any fat

3 tablespoons milk, any fat

1 large egg yolk

1 pound ground beef, as lean as you can get it

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or parsley

2 garlic cloves, made into a paste on a microplane

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Combine the breadcrumbs with the buttermilk and yolk in a large bowl. Mash until you get a paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss with light hand to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Divide into 12 chunks, form into balls and put on a plate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

You can put a cube of mozzarella cheese in the meatball (about 1/2 inch cube). Fresh mozzarella (the one that is sold in water) works better in the meatball than the harder mozzarella. Be sure to tuck it in really good. During steaming the cheese may spill out a bit.

Steam the meatballs until they are 160 F. Remove and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet (not non-stick) over medium-low heat. When the oil is simmering, put the meatballs into the skillet. Don't pull on them or move them around after that. Let them develop a crust and when they are ready to release they will come off easily. Remove on to a paper lined plate.

To make spaghetti and meatballs, this is what you do. Heat up some spaghetti sauce (as much or as little as you want) in the same skillet that you browned the meatballs. Add the spaghetti (again as much as you want) and toss to combine. Add the meatballs (do not need to add all, since you can freeze leftovers) and coat them in the sauce. Arrange on the plate (2 or 3 meatballs per person). Sprinkle with some parsley and Parmesan and serve.

Makes 12 meatballs

Kale Salad

Eat this salad and you will be very happy because it is so yummy and so delicious. I only had raisins, but dried cranberries will look prettier in this salad.

Kale Salad

6 cups kale, ribs removed and loosely packed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, made into a paste on a microplane
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated aged cheese, such as Parmesan, Pecorino, Asiago
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Process kale in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine and eat!

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Garlic Beets

My mom makes beets with sour cream and garlic. I love the taste and the sour cream gives the beets a pink color. I added turmeric because of its health properties and I enjoy the taste. This is really good with meat, but I actually eat it plain.

Garlic Beets

8 ounces whole beets, stems and leaves removed

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane

Boil the beets until fork tender, remove and set aside to cool. When cool, rub the beets to remove the peel. Grate on the fine side of the grater and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Spanikopita

Googums, who is my husband's God-Mother, makes Spanikopita all the time. I love it very much. I like to make it into individual triangles that I can freeze to bake later. I do this because the spanikopita is really only good the day it is made because the filo gets soggy as it sits.

You will need as little as half and as much as a the entire box of the filo dough. If the filo is behaving and not ripping, you will probably use 8 ounces (half the box). When I made the triangles, the filo was tearing and being a real pain. If you have leftover filo dough, you can not store it. Either toss it or make something with it, such as cups (scroll down to read).

After you form the triangles you can freeze them on a baking sheet. When they are hard, transfer to a bag and freeze for up to a month. When you want some spanikopita, take as many triangles as you want (no need to defrost) and place them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment). Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes.

By the way, you do not have to make triangles. You can make the whole thing in a baking dish. You will need 8 ounces of filo here. Just take a baking dish (the dimensions of the filo dough) and line the bottom with half the filo. Make sure to brush each sheet with olive oil. Arrange the filling and cover with the rest of the filo (again brush each sheet with olive oil). Here is the important part! Cut the spanikopita with a knife before baking. Now bake at 350 F until the top is golden. Cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Spanikopita

16 ounces fresh spinach
8 ounces feta cheese
4 large eggs
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
NO SALT, I think that the feta cheese provides enough salt (some may disagree)

16 ounces filo dough, may only use 8 ounces
Olive oil, for brushing

Combine spinach, feta cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Use your hands to squish the spinach and everything together with to get a compact and dense filling.

Take a sheet of filo and brush it with olive oil. Top with another sheet and brush with olive oil. Repeat one more time. Cut in half to give you two long ribbons. Put some of the filling on the corner and roll it up to make a triangle.

Put on a baking sheet, cover with a towel and continue with the rest of the filling. Work quickly before the dough dries up. When done, brush the tops with olive oil.

Bake at 350 F (in the center of the oven) for 20 minutes or until the filo is golden. Cool to room temperature and enjoy. Store in the fridge and try to eat the yums the same day.

What to do with leftover filo?
Arrange three sheets on top (brush each one with olive oil or melted unsalted butter). Cut out squares and line a muffin tin (small or regular) with them. Bake at 350 F until golden. Remove, cool and store in airtight container. You can fill these with anything sweet or savory.

Chocolate Waffles with Espresso Sour Cream

I have a recipe for really delicious yeast waffles. I thought, what if I replace 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa powder and add a little chopped chocolate? Would I get chocolate waffles? Well, I just made them and they were really good and very chocolaty. The waffles are not sweet by themselves. You got to put some syrup, sweetened sour cream, honey or ice cream on top.

Besides being good for you, these waffles are so easy. You just mix everything the night before and put into the fridge. So easy! I also like to make Peanut Butter Surprise Chocolate Waffles. They have a thin sliver of peanut butter in the center.

By the way, if you want to make regular waffles just replace the cocoa powder with all purpose flour and leave out the chocolate.

Chocolate Waffles with Espresso Sour Cream
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, any fat and cold is fine
1 ounce olive oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder, Dutch or natural
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon instant yeast
1 large egg
1/2 ounce chocolate, chopped into little pieces, optional

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 36 hours. Remove the batter from the refrigerator when the waffle iron is hot. Mix well and pour 1/2 cup of batter in the center of the iron for 7 inch waffles. Close and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and eat up right away.

Makes 4-large waffles

Espresso Sour Cream
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons confectioner sugar
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Peanut Butter Surprise Chocolate Waffles
Chocolate waffle recipe
peanut butter

When the waffle iron preheats, place a 1/4 cup of batter in the center. Add a blob of peanut butter (about a tablespoon) and cover with another 1/4 cup of batter. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Nutmeg Muffins

I adapted this recipe from King Aurthur Flour's recipe for Doughnut Muffins. Check out their excellent blog: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/.

I changed their version quite a bit. I reduced the sugar by almost half, used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and used 100 % white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. They came out very good. I was worried that they would be dry since I really reduced the sugar, but they are very delicious and still very sweet.

One nice thing about these muffins is that they are not finicky about over mixing. King Aurthur people said that you can just not worry about over mixing. Just mix until everything is nice and smooth.

Nutmeg Muffins

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup milk, any fat

Topping
butter, melted
sugar combined with combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste (a little nutmeg goes a long way here)

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with shortening and set aside.

Combine butter, oil and both sugars in a stand mixer bowl and mix until smooth (may be curdled). Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins with a butter knife. To put the topping on the muffin, just dip the top of the muffin into butter and then roll in the spiced sugar.

Store in airtight container for a day or freeze for up to a month.

Makes 12 muffins

Red Wine Soaked Apples with Rosemary and Walnuts Tart

I saw an idea for soaking apples in red wine in a magazine at a doctor's office. I decided to make a tart with soaked apples. I figured that putting together apples, wine, rosemary and walnuts does not sound all that bad. The tart is really pretty. The apples glisten from the concentrated syrup (a whole bottle of wine reduced to 4 tablespoons!) and have a deep raspberry color. This is not something that everyone will like. I think that this tart is really classified as savory rather than sweet. I bet it would be good with a platter of cheese (say a cheese party). In any case, it is a nice break from the same old apple tart.

Use firm apples for this tart, such as Granny Smiths. I usually do not peel apples for tarts, but you want to peel the apples because the wine does not color the peel. If you have fruity red wine, use it. I used a dry red and it was just fine because of all the sugar that is added. You can make the crust and blind bake it up to a day ahead.

Red Wine Soaked Apples with Rosemary and Walnuts Tart
Apples Part
1 1/2 pounds firm apples, peeled
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle of red wine
1 tablespoon tapioca flour

Peel the apples and then cut into 1/4 inch slices and place them into a big bowl. Cover with wine and sugar and swirl with your hand to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Be sure to stir it a couple of times to make sure that the apples all get saturated equally.

Crust Part
1/2 cup walnuts, raw (get toasted while baking)
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water, ice cold
1 tablespoon vodka

To make the crust, combine walnuts and the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are fine. Add the butter and pulse 5 times. Add the oil, water and vodka and pulse until the dough forms little pebbles. Dump onto work surface and press the pebbles together. Roll into a circle and line a tart pan. Push the crust sides down so that they come up halfway.

Put on a baking sheet and put a piece of aluminum foil on the crust and fill with beans. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes and then remove the foil with the beans. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Set aside or cool and refrigirate for up to day.

While the crust is baking, reduce the liquid. Place a sieve over a heavy bottom pot (such as a Dutch oven) and pour the soaking apples to separate the apples and the liquid. Add a sprig of rosemary to the liquid and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid reduces to 1/4 cup. Pour into a measuring cup and set aside. It will be thick and sticky.

The baked crust can wait for the reduced syrup. The crust can be hot when you arrange the apples in it, but it can be cool too (say if it cooled off or you made it ahead).

Combine the apples with tapioca flour and arrange the apples in the tart pan (see the picture). Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reduced wine syrup over the top. If the syrup cools off too much, it will be too thick. To make it drizzable put it in the microwave to get hot again.

Bake at 350 F on the bottom rack for 20-30 minutes. Remove and brush the apples with the other 2 tablespoons of syrup. You will need to microwave the syrup and dilute with a tiny bit of water. Since the apples not are secured to the tart, 'pat-pat-pat' the syrupy brush instead of using long strokes. This will prevent from the apple slices sliding all over the place.

Cool to room temperature and enjoy. Be sure to cut with a serrated knife. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.