Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Cupcake Batter
1.5 c of all-purpose flour
1/2 Tb baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of butter
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
3 Tb maple syrup
2/3 c milk

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 Tb water (you may need more depending on consistency)
1/2 bag of powder sugar
1 Tb dried egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/3 c cocoa powder

Garnish
Candied Bacon (bacon and brown sugar)
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together all ingredients of cupcake batter. Pour into lined muffin tin. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile make chocolate frosting and candied bacon. For frosting mix all ingredients together this should be thick consistency. For the candied bacon cook on medium heat in a skillet, when the bacon is cooked halfway sprinkle brown sugar on both sides. Cook until the bacon is done. Let cool.

Assemble your cupcakes and enjoy. First there was breakfast for dinner, now there is breakfast for dessert. (This recipe is based on the one found here.)

Kitchen Adventure: Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplants
3 cups cornflakes (crushed)
2.5 Tb Parsley Flakes
1 Tb Dried Basil
1 Tb dried Oregano
1/4 c flour
2 eggs
2 Tb milk
1 Tb water
3/4 c flour
Vegetable oil
Pasta Sauce (Separate recipe or use store bought)
Parmesan Cheese

Slice eggplant into desired thickness, sprinkle with salt, and leave to sweat in a colander for 30 min to 1 hour. In a skillet heat up 1/2 inch of oil. In a bowl combine crushed cornflakes, parsley, basil, oregano, and 1/4 c flour. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, milk, water. Put 3/4 c flour in a separate bowl. 

Coat eggplant in flour. Dredge in egg mixture. Then coat again in flour. Dredge in the egg mixture again, and then coat with cornflake mixture. Cook on each side about 2 minutes at a time in the oil (if you cook it hot and fast it won't end up super oily. 

Set aside on paper towel. Top with warm pasta sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Enjoy!

Smells Like Home

Nothing will smell more like than making bread. The smell of yeast growing, dough rising, and the smell of freshly baked bread will always remind me of my dad. He is a gifted artisan bread maker. He was home for a short while and we spent some time in the kitchen working on our own recipe for a marble rye bread. It is memories is what makes life wonderful. We each worked on our kneading: me on the light, him on the dark. He would correct my handiwork, and help me better my baking skills. And I got to make a pretty good reuben!

Kitchen Adventure: Bierocks

Classic Bierocks

Filling:

1 small Cabbage (shredded)
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 lb of ground meat
2T black pepper
salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large skillet salt & pepper the meat. Brown meat. (If there is a lot of excess fat, drain the meat). Otherwise, add onion and garlic and cook until golden. Add cabbage and cook until limp. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool. Make dough.

Dough:

3/4 cup warm water (105 - 115^o)
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 mashed potato
2 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cups of flour
1.5 T water

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 5 min until bubbly. Add salt, potato, 1 egg, and oil. Beat until well mixed. Add 1.5 cups of flour and beat for 2 min. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Until a stiff dough forms. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Let dough rest for 15 min. Split dough in half.

 Roll out dough to 1/4 inch. Cut into squares. Fill with 2-3 tablespoons. Fold up the sides to form a tight seal. Set bierocks on a greased sheet. In a bowl beat an egg and brush the beaten egg over the bierocks. Cook at 350° for 25-30 min. Until golden brown. If you want a harder crust spray oven with water when the rolls begin to brown. Serve Hot.

Kitchen Adventure: Umami Burger

I have been feeling blasé about my cooking for the last month or so, but last night I found the delicious flavor of an umami burger. A delicious savory burger that uses a surprising ingredient: fish sauce! Marinated burger, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and Parmesan crisps; create a beautiful combination.

Burger (modified recipe from here)
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tb of fish sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 black pepper
1 clove of garlic minced

Marinate for 40 minutes. Grill or cook on stove 3 to 4 minute on each side on medium heat.
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Roasted Tomatoes (modified recipe from here)
4 Roma tomatoes
Olive Oil
Thyme

Preheat oven to 375° line a pan with parchment paper. Cut thick slices of tomato. Place on lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle thyme over tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven up to 400° and bake for 20 more minutes.

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Parmesan Crisp
Parmesan

While the oven is up to 400° for the tomatoes place a pan with a silpat and four 5 inch circles of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 8 minutes.

For the last part of this recipe after you cook the burgers (if you pan fried the burgers) cook the onions in the burger grease until soft. You can also toast the buns in the same pan or the grill.

Kitchen Adventures

 Homemade Baozi: recipe can be found here. I have been searching for the perfect recipe since I visited a Dim Sum in China Town in San Francisco 6 years ago. I finally found it thanks to pinterest. The website has a great tutorial video on how to fold the buns as well. I did not have the Korean Red Pepper Paste, I used some sriracha sauce, soy sauce, and honey to replace it.

Homemade Marshmallows: recipe found here. Airy and delicious.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 medium-sized shallot or small onion, minced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 oz. pumpkin puree
• 3/4 c. chicken stock
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 1/4 c. diced parsley
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic; cook for 2-3 minutes, until shallots are tender.

2. Reduce heat to low and stir in the pumpkin puree. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Slowly add parmesan and stir until melted. Then simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the parsley. Serve over pasta.

This is more of a fall flavor dish, but I love to enjoy fall any time of the year.

Time for Peace & Quiet

We recently "completed" our current house project. (It is almost done.) We had an open house this past weekend. Enjoyed friends and family with Sangria, and apple crostini. The dogs and I were so tired afterward that we had to take a nap. Hopefully with a break from my house I will be able to devote more time to my blog and personal projects.

Apple Crostini

1/4 cup whipped Butter
1/3 cup Cream Cheese
1 package of Gorgonzola
1 Baguette
Honey

Mix this ingredients together until well combined. Cut baguette diagonally to slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Toast bread. Spread cheese mixture onto toast. Top with a thin slice of apple. Drizzle Honey on top. Serve immediately and enjoy

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Sangria

One bottle white wine
One cup orange curraco or triple sec
Two cups sliced strawberries
One lime sliced
One orange sliced
Two lemons sliced
One cup of sugar
12 oz lemon lime soda

Add fruit and liquor  8 to 24 hours before serving. Just before serving add soda. Stir and serve.

From the Garden

Now that we have a proper backyard, we have a garden full of little plants that give us hope for future bountiful meals. The first plants to be harvested is SPINACH. Tyler has been craving my creamy spinach dip, so I gathered some dark leaves of spinach and melted them into creamy dip.

Creamy Spinach Dip (Half Recipe—this is good for 2‒4 people)
1/2 onion (diced)
1 clove of garlic
1 lb of spinach (cleaned and trimmed)
1/4 cup milk
3 oz of cream cheese
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
(chips, bread-sticks, baguettes to serve with)

Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly oil (with olive oil) a shallow baking dish. In a pot on medium ad onion and garlic til lightly browned (5‒8 min.)  Add spinach in additions. Let batches wilt before adding the next. Cook until completely wilted (5‒9 min.) Drain, pressing out all the excess liquid. In that emptied pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese (3 min.) Add spinach mixture, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, stir and seas with salt and pepper. Pour into the oiled pan. Bake until bubbly about 20 minutes.