Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

This stuff is sooo delicious- creamy, just chocolatey enough, not too sweet, and so easy to make!  It makes a great gift, too.  A friend pointed this recipe out to me, and I'm so happy about it.  I keep making half-batches; I need to just make the full batch next time!

I always have dry milk powder on hand for this pizza recipe.  I can only get a huge container of it here, and can't go through it fast enough.... before this recipe came along, anyway!  Make sure to use real white chocolate for this recipe.  I can buy 100 gram European bars of it here, which is the perfect amount for a half-recipe of this mix.  Real white chocolate chips can be hard to find, even Stateside, so if you are interested in an online source, I order mine from Nuts in Bulk.  These chips are very small.... a lot smaller than they look.  They're mini!  Being such a small size, they blend up super easily in the food processor, too.  (Below- mini white chocolate chips from Nuts in Bulk; regular-sized chocolate chips behind them).
I tried a variation of this where I used part white chocolate chips; part mint chocolate chips, and it didn't work out nearly as well.  The mint chips were harder and they didn't quite blend up all the way.  Mixing with hot milk didn't melt the tiny bits all the way, so there was a small pile of mint chocolate in the bottom of each mug when we drank it.  Oh well!  Still good, but not nearly as good and creamy rich as using all white chocolate.  (No photos of the mint version!)

*I forgot to mention before that I added the seeds of one vanilla bean to the dry mix.  I like this addition.  :)
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
About 20 Servings

3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1½ cups cocoa powder, dutch-process or natural
1½ cups white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate
¼ teaspoon salt (I used Kosher flake)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out, optional

1.  Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two (or more) batches, depending on the size of your food processor, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground. Store the dry mix in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

2.  To make each serving of hot cocoa, put 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk.  Top with marshmallows if desired.  :)



**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

Friday, January 27, 2012

Pasta with Mascarpone, Lemon, Spinach & Pine Nuts

We loved this pasta dish.  Even my two boys loved it and ate a ton.  Even my pickiest eater!  He thought the greens were parsley and said they didn't taste like anything.  (That's a good thing, coming from him!)  The photo above is of the leftovers, so you can't really see how creamy it was.  The photo below is of the night I made it (but the lighting is bad).  We had this with grilled chicken and roasted asparagus too.... sooo good!
I had to use frozen spinach, since I haven't been able to find any fresh here lately.  I thawed it out overnight in the fridge.  To get the water out, I stuck it in a fine-meshed strainer over a large bowl and smashed the heck out of it with the back of a large serving spoon.  I always thought frozen spinach had a funky taste and texture, but it doesn't, and it was perfect in this dish!  Plus, I think I paid only like $.80 or less for a package.  I'm excited to use more frozen spinach now in soups and pasta dishes. 

I used a new-to-me pasta that I found on Amazon.  It is called Fusilli Bucati, and it is SO cute- like little curly corkscrews.  They are round-ish, and actually have a small hole going through the middle of the pasta.  I love them- can't wait to try mac and cheese and more dishes using this shape. 

The original recipe calls for Meyer lemons, but I have never seen those here, so I just used the juice of a regular lemon.  It was perfect.  I also subbed pine nuts for hazelnuts, and I added Parmesan and garlic powder (too lazy to chop up real garlic!)  I will make this dish again- we really liked it.  For any locals (are you out there?!) I'm able to find the Mascarpone at Continente- it's the store brand.
Pasta with Mascarpone, Lemon, Spinach & Pine Nuts
adapted from the Kitchn

1 teaspoon Meyer (or regular) lemon zest
juice from one Meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup) (or use a regular lemon)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea or Kosher salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
garlic powder, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional- I left this out)
1/2 pound favorite pasta (8 oz.)
5 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped, OR one 10 oz. pckg. frozen spinach, thawed, and excess juices removed :)
1/4-1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1-2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Bring a pot of water to boil and add a little salt.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Undercook just slightly, but about a minute.  Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

2  Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, mascarpone cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and optional nutmeg in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

3.  Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat.  Stir in the mascarpone sauce.  Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt.  Add about 1/8-1/4 cup of the pasta water (more if necessary) to keep the sauce creamy and loose but not watery.  Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked and wilted down.  Add the parmesan and pine nuts and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

My Mom's Homemade Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Today is Peanut Butter Day!!  I made these last week but haven't gotten around to posting them yet- but now I have to!  :)  Ok, so these are bars, not really "cups", but that doesn't matter.  I posted this similar recipe back in 2009, and I mentioned, back then, that I wanted to try my mom's recipe but didn't have enough peanut butter on hand.  Well, I recently stocked up.  And then, someone left me a comment on that 2009 post, asking me to post my mom's recipe.  So.... I just had to make it.  :)  More like, I finally had a great excuse to make such a rich and delicious treat.  (It was scary how fast these were gone.... but I don't wanna talk about that and the potential impact on my health.  Ha ha ha!  At least we have a lot of people around here to eat these!)
These were sooo good.  They contain more peanut butter, and powdered sugar than my other recipe.  That makes them a lot thicker and more substantial, which can be both a good and a bad thing.  :)  This recipe called for 6 ounces of chocolate for the top, but I thought that wouldn't be enough, so I used roughly 8 ounces.  I also added a tablespoon of butter to help it melt and spread, and especially make them easier to cut after being stored in the fridge (to reduce crackage of the chocolate a little bit). 

Mom's Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
from my Mom :)

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 pound powdered sugar (a little less than 4 cups)
1 pouch graham crackers, crushed to crumbs (9 whole graham crackers)
6-8 ounces chocolate chips (semisweet tend to melt easier than milk)
1 tablespoon butter
 
1. Using a stand mixer or regular mixer, mix butter and peanut butter together till blended, then add the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9x13 pan.
 
2.  Over a double boiler or a very heavy saucepan on low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips together until smooth.  Pour over peanut butter mixture in pan, spreading evenly to edges.   Refrigerate until set and cut into bars.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

Monday, January 23, 2012

Quinoa with Pine Nuts & Sautéed Shallots

Quinoa is a healthy, grain-like superfood.  It is a complete protein, which is pretty cool, since it is a plant.  It's also full of vitamins, minerals, and our good friend fiber.  :)  Quinoa is really, really good for you.  The ancient Incas grew it, and to them it was a sacred grain; they called it "Mother of all grains".  You pronounce it "keen-wa" (thanks, Bob's Red Mill package!)  And, I can even buy it locally!
Quinoa is gaining both recognition and popularity these days.  It's even trendy.  But I was first introduced to this super grain about ten years ago, when my husband cooked it for me.  He makes a delicious sweet quinoa dish with cinnamon-sauteed apples, brown sugar, and quinoa.  It's great for breakfast.  He used to work at a natural foods store and learned about quinoa there.  After being introduced to it, I tried to cook it myself a few times, but I was never really pleased with the result.  For me, quinoa needs to be cooked in something flavorful, because by itself, I just don't love it.  When I saw this recipe recently, I had a "duh" moment; she uses chicken broth instead of just water.  (You could use veggie broth to vegan-ize this). 

I loved this dish- I used a good-quality chicken broth; it really matters here.  I also used shallots instead of boring ol' onions, and I let some of them get a bit crusty and brown while sautéeing.  They were almost the best part!  :)  Actually, my husband and I loved the shallots so much that we ate them all, so for the leftovers, I had to sautée some more.  We had this last week and I'm already wanting to make it again, sometime soon.

Note:  This recipe calls for Quinoa to be rinsed before cooking.  This is to remove a bitter substance naturally found on quinoa.  However, certain brands come ready-to-cook with no rinsing required.  The brand I used, Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa, does not need to be rinsed.  Check your package.
Quinoa with Pine Nuts & Sautéed Shallots
adapted from Ellie Krieger of the Food Network

2 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed (if package states to)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-4 shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional
Salt and pepper

1.  In a medium sized saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Add the quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

2.  Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. (Do not walk away from these!)  Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.  (Shallots may crisp up instead of softening- either way is delicious). 

3.  When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Folhadas- Puff Pastry Treats

My good friend came over to show me how to make Folhadas the other day.  These are my daughter's favorite treats to get at Pastelerias over here.  I mention them in this post from a few years ago.  Sweet frosting or filling is sandwiched between sheets of puff pastry, and dusted with powdered sugar.  And they couldn't be easier to make!  Directly translated, "Folhada" just means "Puff".  Puff pastry dough over here is called massa folhada. 

To make these, you just cut a sheet of puff pastry into squares or rectangles- whatever size you want.  Bake on a baking sheet at approximately 350 F until puffed and golden brown, and allow to cool.  While these are cooling, mix up a frosting of butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar.  Pry the sheets of puff pastry apart- they should separate easily- and spread the frosting in the middle, and then dust with powdered sugar. 
Folhadas
from my friend R :)
Recipe is approximate!

1 sheet puff pastry- (a little easier to cut while still frozen)
about 1/2 pound powdered sugar (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup butter, room temp
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
powdered sugar for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Using a very sharp knife, cut puff pastry into squares or rectangles.  We cut a dozen (12) rectangles per sheet.  Place a little bit apart on a baking sheet and bake in the hot oven until puffed and golden brown.  Times vary per oven- but maybe anywhere from 8-15 minutes.  Let baked puff pastry cool.

2. Mix 1/2 pound powdered sugar, butter, and lemon juice until smooth and a little fluffy.  Separate each puff pastry into two, and spread frosting inside, like a sandwich.  Place filled puff pastries on a serving platter and dust them all with powdered sugar.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

I'm always up for trying new Tomato Soup recipes.  We had grilled cheese for dinner and I tried this new recipe to go with it.  The soup was super thick, but you could always thin it down with some milk or broth.  I wanted this to go further, so I doubled the tomatoes.  I was able to try San Marzano tomatoes for the first time (I can buy those here- yay!)

Obviously, this soup contains roasted garlic.  You can use as much as you want, and I chose to roast and use the whole head.  Roasting really mellows out garlic, so this soup was not too strong at all.  I'll include directions for roasting garlic after the recipe, below.

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup
adapted from Homesick Texan

2, 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (like San Marzano)
1 head of garlic, roasted (instructions below)
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1/4 of a large onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 pieces of cooked bacon (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons of hard cheese such as Parmigiana, Romano or Asiago

1.  In a large soup pot with a lid, melt butter, and cook onions, celery, carrot, and one piece of bacon (chopped) for 10-15 minutes.  Add tomatoes, sugar and basil and other piece of bacon to pot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

2.  Squeeze roasted garlic out of its skin and add as many cloves as desired to the soup.  (I used the whole head).  Stir in cheese.  Simmer, covered for another half hour.

3.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup right in the pot.  If you don't have an immersion blender, let the soup cool a bit, and then puree carefully, in batches, in a regular blender.  Vent the lid and cover with a kitchen towel so heat can escape. 

4.  Put the soup back onto the stove, on low heat, and stir in the half-and-half.  Add milk, or broth, if desired, to thin it out, or leave it as-is for a thick soup. 
How to roast garlic:  Heat the oven to 350 F.  Lay out a small sheet of foil.  Take a head of garlic and slice off the top, exposing all the cloves just slightly.  Place garlic head on the foil.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, about 1/2 Tablespoon.  Wrap up the garlic loosely in the foil.  Set in a small ramekin or on a small baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for about 1 hour or until garlic is tender, browned, and looks like the garlic below.  Let cool, and when desired, squeeze individual cloves out of garlic skins to use in recipes. 
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Blue Cornmeal Buttermilk Waffles

I haven't made a new dinner recipe since December (last year! hardy-har har) and we've just been having our tried-and-true favorites every night (see sidebar on right), with a grilled cheese thrown in for good measure every once in a while.  I made these waffles forever ago; I'm thinking circa the end of November.  There were so many things to blog about last month, though, that I never got around to posting these.  I've also been trying to figure out my new DSLR camera.  I've had it over a month and I'm still so intimidated!  (These waffle pics are pre-DSLR, but some of my other recent pics were taken while experimenting with the beast!)

I love blue cornmeal, and I'm always looking for new recipes to use it in.  We all liked these waffles, and they were great with this blueberry sauce.  (That blueberry sauce deserves its own post; it's so good!)  This recipe makes quite a bit, so you may want to cut it in half if you need less. 

Our other favorite ways to use blue cornmeal:  Buttermilk Blue Cornmeal Pancakes and Blue Cornmeal Cast-Iron Cornbread. 

Blue Cornmeal Buttermilk Waffles
adapted from The Food Network

1 1/2 cups blue cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can use part whole-wheat pastry)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (less if using salted butter)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, plus more for brushing

1.  Preheat your waffle iron.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  (Blue cornmeal, flour, baking powder & soda, salt, and sugar). 

2.  In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.  Carefully fold wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until combined.  Do not overmix. 

3.  Brush your waffle iron with butter, or use cooking spray.  Cook batter according to manufacturer's directions to make waffles.  Serve with butter and syrup, jam, or homemade blueberry sauce. 
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Purple Potato Spanish Tortilla

I was so excited a little while ago when I discovered two little packages of purple potatoes at my grocery store!  I love purple potatoes, but have not seen them for years, and I've never seen them here before!  I brought them home and tried them right away in a roasted potato dish.... but they were mealy, mushy, and tasted kinda gross.  I couldn't even eat them. 

Sadly, I kinda forgot about the rest of them until I wanted to clean up the area of the kitchen they were occupying.  While searching for purple potato recipes before, I remembered seeing a few recipes for Purple Spanish Tortilla, so that is what I did a few days ago.  I wondered if maybe these little guys just weren't meant to be roasted, or maybe I had overcooked them the first time.  (Quite possible). 
When making a Spanish tortilla, one cooks the potatoes first on the stove-top, in olive oil, before adding the eggs.  I figured I could cook them up and taste them, and if they were mealy or mushy or gross at all, I'd just toss them and cut my losses.  So I started on the tortilla and pan-fried the taters in some olive oil, and they tasted good!  Not mushy or gross!  I was so excited.  I decided to make a half-size tortilla in the small non-stick skillet I used to cook eggs.  It was perfect, and so easy to flip because it wasn't a big huge skillet.  But, my husband and I enjoyed this little tortilla so much that I had to go make another one after it was gone.  :) 
Note:  It's hard to tell you how many potatoes to use, since mine were tiny, and this is a half-recipe.  You can use more or less than what I indicate, especially since potatoes come in many different sizes.  I peel my potatoes for regular Spanish tortilla, but left the peels on these purple ones. 

Purple Potato Spanish Tortilla
adapted from my Mom's recipe, here

3-6 small purple potatoes, sliced (scrub skins well)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Olive oil
3 eggs
Salt and pepper

1. In a small, non-stick skillet, cook potatoes and onion in olive oil (1-2 Tablespoons) until soft but not mushy.

2. Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper.  Add cooked potato mixture to eggs.

3. Add olive oil to non- stick skillet -just enough to cover the bottom. Swirl hot oil to cover sides of pan as well. Heat until oil is very hot. Add potato mixture, cover, turn down heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Check to see if half cooked. Turn by placing a large dinner plate over top and turning (do this over sink since some hot grease will drip out).

4. Slide tortilla back into pan, cooked-side up. Cook until set. Serve hot or cold or room temperature.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **