Mu Shu Pork

Posted on February 18, 2015 by sparecake

One of my favorite dishes when getting a lot of Chinese food, mu shu (or mu shi, moo shi, or moo shu depending on the menu) is a mess of thinly sliced pork and vegetables wrapped in a thin pancake. This version is gluten free, if you use gf soy sauce and hoisin sauce, but I thought the pancakes tasted just like the ones you’d get in a restaurant, although they come out smaller. (The smaller pancake size somehow led to me making less of a mess on myself, so I’m not complaining!)IMG_4575

Both the pancakes and the pork filling are best if served warm. You can make the pancakes earlier in the day, and reheat once you’ve made the filling, or pre-cut all the filling ingredients, make the pancakes and wrap them up temporarily, then quickly cook the filling, and serve.

IMG_4576Ingredients:

Mandarin Pancakes:

  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup millet flour
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more if needed

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, xanthan gum, and salt.

IMG_4543Stir in the boiling water with a fork, then add the cold water and mix.

IMG_4544Knead, in the bowl, until the mixture comes together – it’ll still be hot, but shouldn’t burn you. At this point in the winter, it’s kind of pleasant!

IMG_4545Divide the dough into 4 pieces, then divide each piece in 4, creating 16 small balls of dough.

IMG_4546Flouring well with additional sweet rice flour, roll the first ball out to 1/16″ thick. I did it between two sheets of parchment, and I think that that’s a good idea, but even with the so you should flour well, as the dough is quite sticky. Place the rolled out pancake onto a clean kitchen towel or piece of paper towel. Brush the top well with the sesame oil, completely covering the surface.

IMG_4547Roll out  second ball of dough, and put it on top of the first, greased pancake.

IMG_4548Cover the pair with a fold of towel/piece of paper towel. Roll out the rest of the dough, creating 8 greased pairs. It’s fine to stack them.

Place another clean kitchen towel/piece of paper towel on another clean plate. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Place one pancake pair, without any oil, into the heated pan, and cook about 30 seconds or until the top pancake forms air bubbles.

Not much in the way of bubbles, but that's ok.

Not much in the way of bubbles, but that’s ok.

Flip, and cook the second side another 30 seconds, or until the new top pancake begins to bubble.

IMG_4552If they don’t seem to be bubbling, remove them from the heat anyway – you don’t want them to crisp or you won’t be able to wrap with them later.

IMG_4553Once on the fresh lined plate, pull the two pancakes apart, and cover them with a fold of towel/piece of paper towel.

IMG_4554Cook the remaining pairs, then serve immediately or wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

If you prepared the pancakes earlier, then when ready to eat, either steam for 10 minutes, or wrap in a barely damp paper towel, followed by plastic wrap, and microwave until hot, to get them moist and flexible again.

Keep the hot pancakes covered to keep them warm throughout the meal. Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for two days, or frozen 1 month.

Mu Shu Pork:

  • 1 pound boneless pork loin or boneless center-cut pork chops
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sake, dry sherry, or Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, squeezed dry, and shredded
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots (we added the carrots – I think it’s nice, color-wise!)
  • 1/2 cup drained and rinsed canned bamboo shoots, shredded lengthwise
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • hoisin sauce, for serving

Cut the pork into 4 chunks and freeze 20-30 minutes, so that it firms up. Cut into 1/4″ thick slices, then stack and cut into thin slices. Combine the sliced pork with two tablespoons of the soy sauce, the sake, and the cornstarch. Set aside to marinade while you prepare the other ingredients.

We had this chopped and marinating in the fridge the night before.

We had this chopped and marinating in the fridge the night before.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and let them cook until puffy, about 30 seconds, before scrambling them until cooked through, making sure to break the egg up into small pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

IMG_4562 IMG_4563

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, return the pan to the heat, and add half the pork, letting it cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue to cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the eggs. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the other half of the pork.

IMG_4564

Whoops, I put my eggs in too small a bowl, so the pork had to wait alone.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the garlic and green onions for 30 seconds. Add the wood ear, cabbage, carrots, and bamboo, and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 3 minutes.

IMG_4565 IMG_4567Add back the pork and eggs, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce and the salt. Cook until heated through.

IMG_4570To serve, spread a bit of hoisin on one of the pancakes, then top with the pork mixture and wrap shut.

IMG_4571 IMG_4572We also had some quickly stir fried veggies and some kimchi (wrong culture!) on the side. IMG_4573The method for making the pancakes seems a bit weird, but they wrap well, and taste just right – it’s really a great dish, and worth the effort!

IMG_4574 IMG_4578

Mu Shu Pork

From The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen.

Mandarin Pancakes:

  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup millet flour
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more if needed

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in the boiling water with a fork, then add the cold water and mix. Knead, in the bowl, until the mixture comes together. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, then divide each piece in 4, creating 16 small balls of dough.

Flouring well with additional sweet rice flour, roll the first ball out to 1/16″ thick between two pieces of parchment. Place the rolled out pancake onto a clean kitchen towel or piece of paper towel. Brush the top well with the sesame oil, completely covering the surface. Roll out  second ball of dough, and put it on top of the first, greased pancake. Cover the pair with a fold of towel/piece of paper towel. Roll out the rest of the dough, creating 8 greased pairs. It’s fine to stack them.

Place another clean kitchen towel/piece of paper towel on another clean plate. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Place one pancake pair, without any oil, into the heated pan, and cook about 30 seconds or until the top pancake forms air bubbles. Flip, and cook the second side another 30 seconds, or until the new top pancake begins to bubble. If they don’t seem to be bubbling, remove them from the heat anyway – you don’t want them to crisp or you won’t be able to wrap with them later.

Once on the fresh lined plate, pull the two pancakes apart, and cover them with a fold of towel/piece of paper towel. Cook the remaining pairs, then serve immediately or wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

If you prepared the pancakes earlier, then when ready to eat, either steam for 10 minutes, or wrap in a barely damp paper towel, followed by plastic wrap, and microwave until hot, to get them moist and flexible again.

Keep the hot pancakes covered to keep them warm throughout the meal. Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for two days, or frozen 1 month.

Mu Shu Pork:

  • 1 pound boneless pork loin or boneless center-cut pork chops
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sake, dry sherry, or Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, squeezed dry, and shredded
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup drained and rinsed canned bamboo shoots, shredded lengthwise
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • hoisin sauce, for serving

Cut the pork into 4 chunks and freeze 20-30 minutes, so that it firms up. Cut into 1/4″ thick slices, then stack and cut into thin slices. Combine the sliced pork with two tablespoons of the soy sauce, the sake, and the cornstarch. Set aside to marinade while you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and let them cook until puffy, about 30 seconds, before scrambling them until cooked through, making sure to break the egg up into small pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, return the pan to the heat, and add half the pork, letting it cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue to cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the eggs. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the other half of the pork.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the garlic and green onions for 30 seconds. Add the wood ear, cabbage, carrots, and bamboo, and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add back the pork and eggs, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce and the salt. Cook until heated through.

To serve, spread a bit of hoisin on one of the pancakes, then top with the pork mixture and wrap shut.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf

Posted on February 16, 2015 by sparecake

A few weeks ago I made a long overdue trip to visit some friends in New York. We made this meatloaf that, while slightly sloppy, was really super delicious and worth trying! We cooked it with some vegetables, so there was a convenient side done alone with the main dish, too!

IMG_4349Ingredients:

Meatloaf:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs (we used 1/3, but the additional crumbs will help soak up some of the excess liquid)
  • 3 tablespoons buffalo wing hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons blue cheese dressing
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 lb ground turkey

Glaze:

  • 1 tablespoon buffalo wing hot sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey

Vegetables:

  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
Are you a guest? Totally sit around on the couch while your friend does all the chopping down the other side of the house!

Are you a guest? Totally sit around on the couch while your friend does all the chopping down the other side of the house! Good work, you lazy jerk!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13″ baking dish with foil and grease lightly.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then cook the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

IMG_4337In a large bowl, stir together the egg, bread crumbs, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, salt, peppers, and cheeses.

IMG_4339Add the cooked vegetables, then the ground turkey, and use your hands to mix until evenly combined.

Pretty unpleasant looking, really.

Pretty unpleasant looking, really.

Tip the mixture out into the lined pan, and shape into a rounded loaf.

IMG_4345After a thorough hand-wash, stir together the glaze ingredients in a small cup or bowl, then brush over the surface of the meatloaf.

IMG_4340 IMG_4346Spread the extra vegetables around the loaf.

IMG_4347Bake 55-70 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf registers 165 degrees.

IMG_4348Remove from the oven, cover with a piece of foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Like I said, this is quite delicious, and makes a nice complete meal with little fuss. We didn’t leave leftovers!

Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf

Adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.

Meatloaf:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons buffalo wing hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons blue cheese dressing
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 lb ground turkey

Glaze:

  • 1 tablespoon buffalo wing hot sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey

Vegetables:

  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13″ baking dish with foil and grease lightly.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then cook the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, stir together the egg, bread crumbs, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, salt, peppers, and cheeses. Add the cooked vegetables, then the ground turkey, and use your hands to mix until evenly combined. Tip the mixture out into the lined pan, and shape into a rounded loaf.

Stir together the glaze ingredients in a small cup or bowl, then brush over the surface of the meatloaf. Spread the extra vegetables around the loaf. Bake 55 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf registers 165 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with a piece of foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Crispy Brown Butter Gnocchi // Blue Apron Giveaway

Posted on February 11, 2015 by sparecake

A few weeks ago a friend gave me a free trial of Blue Apron. If you haven’t heard about it, well, I’m about to tell you a little bit, and at the end, give you a chance to try two free meals from them yourself!

IMG_4326Blue Apron is a food delivery service that lets you customize your preferences (vegetarian, no fish, etc.) and fit the frequency/size of the deliveries to your family size. The food comes as raw, fresh ingredients, in just the right amounts for each meal. For the three meals I made, I only needed to provide some oil, water, salt and pepper. Everything else came in the box, including a few tablespoons of butter, a bit of cream, a bit of cider vinegar, and some herbs. It’s great if you hate getting a whole carton of cream for a recipe that only needs a few tablespoons. Everything comes labeled, and with a clear ingredient list for each recipe, so it’s obvious which foods go with which recipe. It does feel like a lot of packaging, but they make nearly everything recyclable, so you don’t have to feel too terrible.

Each meal is made to be cooked in 35 minutes or less, but they manage to be pretty fancy for something you can do that quickly. They’re between 500-700 calories. What that meant for me was eating half and wrapping half up for the next day. Twenty minutes later I’d think “huh that was good maybe I could eat the other half now?” but I wouldn’t, and I’d wake up the next day still not starving. (What I’m getting at is that they don’t necessarily seem like huge portions at the time, but they’re filling.)

The main pluses of the service are that you don’t have to plan ahead, and you’ll probably try cooking some things you never would have made otherwise. The three meals I had were Chicken Charlemagne with Roasted Root Vegetables & Parsnip-Potato Mash (I expected ‘eh’ and got ‘fantastic’), Korean-Style Tteok with Spicy Pork “Ragù” & Gai Lan (I get so excited about rice cakes!), and the Crispy Brown Butter Gnocchi with Meyer Lemon & Brussels Sprouts below. Pretty nice variety for just 3 meals! And, of course, if you don’t want to receive meals for a few weeks, you can pause them without getting billed, and pick back up later when you want to get cooking again.

Photo via my friend Danielle, who was trying Blue Apron the same week as me.

Photo of the Chicken Charlemagne via my friend Danielle, who was trying Blue Apron the same week as me.

Rice cakes forever!

Rice cakes forever!

If you want to try out Blue Apron for yourself, you can! The first 30 readers to click this link will get a free two meal trial. (To make sure that you’re in their delivery zone, which covers vast swathes of the US, check here.)

As a disclaimer – I am not getting anything myself for writing about Blue Apron, I was just really happy with my trial and wrote them to ask if I could get a giveaway for my readers.

And now onto the recipe! For once, I’m just going to give you their text directly, so you can see how their recipes are written. As well as getting the printed recipe, they have them online, with additional tips and tricks.

Description and a clear ingredient list/picture.

Description and a clear ingredient list/picture.

Ingredients:

  • 10 Ounces Fresh Gnocchi
  • 8 Ounces Brussels Sprouts
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 Meyer Lemon
  • 1 Red Onion
  • 1 Bunch Thyme

Knick Knacks (small items for each meal that come in a paper bag to keep them together)

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pictures with each step.

Pictures with each step.

Makes 2 Servings
About 500 Calories Per Serving
Cooking Time: 15 to 25 minutes (I found preparing the Brussels sprouts pretty time consuming, so this was longer for me)

Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Trim off and discard the root ends of the Brussels sprouts. Pick off the bright green leaves until you reach the lighter cores; place the leaves in a small bowl and discard the cores. Peel and mince the garlic. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

Slowest part, by far.

Slowest part, by far.

Cook the gnocchi:

Add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the top of the pot. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the gnocchi thoroughly and set aside.

Crisp the gnocchi & brown the butter:

In a large pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Once melted, add the drained gnocchi and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the gnocchi are crisped and the butter is browned and nuttily fragrant.

IMG_4331Add the aromatics:

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pan of crisped gnocchi and browned butter; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

IMG_4332Finish the gnocchi:

To the pan of gnocchi and aromatics, add the Brussels sprout leaves, lemon zest, thyme, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, all but a pinch of the Parmesan cheese (save the rest for garnish) and 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. (If the sauce seems dry, slowly add the remaining pasta cooking water until you achieve your desired consistency.) Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

IMG_4333Plate your dish:

Divide the finished gnocchi between 2 plates. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

IMG_4335Delicious, filling, and decently healthy-feeling.

If you give Blue Apron a try, do let me know how you like it!

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Cranberry Crumble

Posted on February 9, 2015 by sparecake

I’m moving to Wyoming soon, but before I left DC I went to one last Battlestar Galactica potluck. We did a Wyoming theme, which mostly turned out to mean Bison meat and recipes from a Native American cookbook. This was from the cookbook, is 3/4 various types of sugar, and was delicious!

IMG_4357The cornmeal mixture gets a crisp top, and makes a pretty unique sort of crumble. Whether because of all the sweetness, or because of the cornmeal top, people were pretty into this!

Ingredients:

Cornmeal Topping:

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Cranberry Mixture:

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 8″ square baking dish. I only had an 8X11.5″ dish, so I just added a quarter more of each ingredient to make it larger for the larger dish.

Stir together all the ingredients of the cornmeal mixture, creating a thick dough, and set aside.

IMG_4354Combine all the cranberry mixture ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the berries have begun to burst, stirring frequently, then pour into the greased pan.

IMG_4355Drop the cornmeal mixture in tablespoon sized portions over the cranberry mixture.

IMG_4356Bake 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.

IMG_4357Let cool 10 minutes, then serve still warm.

Yum!

Yum!

We’ll find out shortly if my next kitchen has better lighting, for slightly better photos! Here’s hoping!

Cranberry Crumble

From The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook: Recipes from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Cornmeal Topping:

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Cranberry Mixture:

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 8″ square baking dish.

Stir together all the ingredients of the cornmeal mixture, creating a thick dough, and set aside.

Combine all the cranberry mixture ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the berries have begun to burst, stirring frequently, then pour into the greased pan. Drop the cornmeal mixture in tablespoon sized portions over the cranberry mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes, then serve still warm.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Honey Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Posted on February 4, 2015 by sparecake

Some simple rolls that are soft inside, with just a little chewiness to the outside and a nice, not especially sweet flavor. They’re not crunchy rolls, so if that’s what you’re craving, try this recipe.

IMG_4316 IMG_4319Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (most annoyingly, the small size in my supermarket these days is 14 ounces, not 16, so you’ll have to get a bigger bottle, or just make buttermilk yourself)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 1/2 cups flour, plus additional while kneading
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Stir together the yeast, buttermilk, and honey in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt, and stir together again.

IMG_4310If kneading by hand, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, adding just enough flour that the dough is only tacky, rather than sticky, and comes off the counter and your hands easily without leaving any behind. If using a mixer, use the dough hook to knead, adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The recipe I was following said she added another cup of flour, I would say I used less than 1/4 cup to reach a nice texture.

IMG_4311

I know in some of my old bread recipes, I used to keep adding more and more flour until the dough wasn’t even remotely tacky, but that’s not as nice a texture, and I try to leave the dough a tiny bit of moisture these days, if only because it means the dough doesn’t have as many big cracks you can’t squish back together.

Transfer the kneaded dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise somewhere warm until doubled, about two hours.

risePunch down the risen dough, and divide into 2 ounce pieces. Roll the dough into balls, then place on a parchment lined sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise somewhere warm about 40 minutes. During that time, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

IMG_4315Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, checking the bottoms for doneness. Let baked rolls cool on a wire rack.

Bottoms brown first - don't want them to burn!

Bottoms brown first – don’t want them to burn!

These were a swell side to some giant salads! I’ll be sharing this post with YeastSpotting.

IMG_4318

Honey Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

From Alexandra’s Kitchen.

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 1/2 cups flour, plus additional while kneading
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Stir together the yeast, buttermilk, and honey in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt, and stir together. If kneading by hand, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, adding just enough flour that the dough is only tacky, rather than sticky, and comes off the counter and your hands easily without leaving any behind. If using a mixer, use the dough hook to knead, adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the kneaded dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise somewhere warm until doubled, about two hours.

Punch down the risen dough, and divide into 2 ounce pieces. Roll the dough into balls, then place on a parchment lined sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise somewhere warm about 40 minutes. During that time, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, checking the bottoms for doneness. Let baked rolls cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Posted in Bread | Tagged | Leave a comment

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

Posted on February 2, 2015 by sparecake

Another recipe that straddles the breakfast/dessert divide, I brought these to a potluck night a few weeks ago, where (thanks to the addition of a sugary glaze) they were greeted as delicious, slightly crunchy donuts. That works for me!

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed (I measured before crushing)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup milk

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Glaze:

  • remaining topping ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cereal, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then cut in the butter until crumbly.

IMG_4271Drizzle in the milk, while stirring, then roll the dough into 1″ balls.

IMG_4272Mix the topping sugar and cinnamon together. Dip each dough ball into the melted butter,  roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet. Save the leftover butter and cinnamon sugar.

IMG_4273IMG_4274Bake the dough balls 15 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

IMG_4275Whisk together the butter, cinnamon sugar, and milk, then add powdered sugar until you’ve reached the icing/glaze consistency you prefer, and drizzle over the baked bites. Let rest several minutes for the glaze to set, then enjoy.

20150106_210059The crushed cereal adds an interesting crunch I kind of liked, and anything coated in sugar’s got a good chance of a thumbs up from me!

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

Adapted from Lovin’ From the Oven.

Dough:

  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup milk

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Glaze:

  • remaining topping ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cereal, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then cut in the butter until crumbly. Drizzle in the milk, while stirring, then roll the dough into 1″ balls.

Mix the topping sugar and cinnamon together. Dip each dough ball into the melted butter,  roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet. Save the leftover butter and cinnamon sugar. Bake the dough balls 15 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Whisk together the butter, cinnamon sugar, and milk, then add powdered sugar until you’ve reached the icing/glaze consistency you prefer, and drizzle over the baked bites. Let rest several minutes for the glaze to set, then enjoy.

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Gluten Free Lemon Squares

Posted on January 28, 2015 by sparecake

A bright cheery dessert for this wintery weather, these lemon squares use almond flour to create a crisp gluten-free crust.

IMG_4261Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 5/8 ounces lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free cornstarch
  • pinch of salt

Grease an 8″ square pan, or 9″ round, and set aside.

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly and sandy looking – you do still want some small chunks of butter left, so don’t try to mix it entirely consistent.

IMG_4244Press into the bottom of the prepared pan, and about 1/2″ up the sides if you have room, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. During this time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

IMG_4245Bake the crust 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

A minute or two less would have been ok, but this was still fine/not burnt.

A minute or two less would have been ok, but this was still fine/not burnt.

Combine filling ingredients and whisk thoroughly until well mixed.

IMG_4247Pour filling over the crust.

IMG_4248Bake 14-18 minutes, until set.

IMG_4249Cool in the pan before cutting into squares, and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

IMG_4262Two bowls and a pan, not too shabby!

Gluten Free Lemon Squares

From King Arthur Flour.

Crust:

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 5/8 ounces lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free cornstarch
  • pinch of salt

Grease an 8″ square pan, or 9″ round, and set aside.

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly and sandy looking. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan, and about 1/2″ up the sides if you have room, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. During this time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the crust 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

Combine filling ingredients and whisk thoroughly until well mixed. Pour over the crust, then bake 14-18 minutes, until set.

Cool in the pan before cutting into squares, and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pizza Potatoes

Posted on January 26, 2015 by sparecake

Here’s a quick dinner that takes very little planning but turns out filling and satisfying. In the recipe I saw originally, it had tiny tiny pepperonis, which I at first thought were halved tiny tomatoes. I wanted to keep the tomato idea in there (makes sense, for pizza?), so added some sun dried tomato pesto, and I think it was a nice addition.

IMG_4258 IMG_4251Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds baby potatoes, any color, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pizza seasoning
  • 2-3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or more to taste, I added at least twice as much)
  • heaping 1/4 cup mini pepperoni (or chopped up larger pepperoni)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the potatoes on the pan, drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, then sprinkle the seasoning, salt, and cheese over the top. Stir together the whole mixture.

IMG_4252Bake 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Add the pepperoni, and more cheese if desired, and stir together.

IMG_4254Bake another 2-3 minutes, then serve hot.

IMG_4260Hard to go wrong with cheesy potatoes!

Pizza Potatoes

Lightly adapted from Noble Pig.

  • 2 pounds baby potatoes, any color, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pizza seasoning
  • 2-3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or more to taste)
  • heaping 1/4 cup mini pepperoni (or chopped up larger pepperoni)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the potatoes on the pan, drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, then sprinkle the seasoning, salt, and cheese over the top. Stir together the whole mixture, then bake 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Add the pepperoni, and more cheese if desired, and stir together. Bake another 2-3 minutes, then serve hot.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Adobo Chicken Quesadillas

Posted on January 21, 2015 by sparecake

I really like the adobo sauce that comes in cans of chipotles in adobo, although I’ve possibly only actually used it once or twice since this chipotle and cheese pull-apart bread from 2011. I was looking for a lazy meal to use up some cheese in the fridge recently, though, and had bought a can of chipotles a while before, so this idea worked out deliciously!

IMG_4182Making quesadillas isn’t exactly super complex, but this was a tasty version I enjoyed, and found worth sharing!

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken tenders, sliced to roughly 1/2″ thickness
  • 1 can chipotles in adobo
  • 4 flour tortillas
  • shredded cheese (a Mexican blend would be good, I used a combo of cheddar and mozzarella)
  • sour cream for serving, if desired

20141120_162040If you have time, the easiest way to slice chicken thin is to let some frozen chicken half-thaw, so it’s still firm and will stand up to cutting.

IMG_4172Stir the sliced chicken and the can of chipotles in adobo together in a small bowl, and let sit around an hour (or until the chicken has fully thawed).

IMG_4173Chop the peppers, if you intend to eat them, or take them out now if you don’t want spicy quesadillas. If you’re not going to eat them, you don’t want to cook them, because cooking chipotles can make you cough a ton. Cook on the stove until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

IMG_4174Lightly grease a pan different pan (or clean and dry the first pan), and heat over medium-low heat. (Lower heat gives the cheese time to melt before the tortillas get a chance to burn!) Add a tortilla, and spread a big handful of cheese over it. Add half the cooked chicken, then cover with more chicken and a second tortilla.

IMG_4175Put a lid on the pan (to help the whole thing get warm, letting the cheese melt), and cook several minutes until the bottom tortilla has lightly browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until the second tortilla has browned as well.

IMG_4176Remove from the pan, cook the second half of the ingredients, then slice and serve while still warm.

IMG_4177 IMG_4179 IMG_4183 IMG_4181I was quite pleased with these, and will probably make them again!

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

  • 4 chicken tenders, sliced to 1/2″ thickness
  • 1 can chipotles in adobo
  • 4 flour tortillas
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream for serving, if desired

If you have time, the easiest way to slice chicken thin is to let some frozen chicken half-thaw, so it’s still firm and will stand up to cutting.

Stir the sliced chicken and the can of chipotles in adobo together in a small bowl, and let sit around an hour (or until the chicken has fully thawed). Discard peppers if you don’t want spicy quesadillas, or chop if you intend to eat them, then cook in a pan on the stove over medium heat until the chicken until cooked through.

Lightly grease a pan different pan, and heat over medium-low heat. Add a tortilla, and spread a big handful of cheese over it. Add half the cooked chicken, then cover with more chicken and a second tortilla. Put a lid on the pan, and cook several minutes until the bottom tortilla has lightly browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until the second tortilla has browned as well. Remove from the pan, cook the second half of the ingredients, then slice and serve while still warm.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Posted on January 19, 2015 by sparecake

This fall my mother and I met up in Philly for a weekend of museums and food. Easily the best thing we had, which we’ve been talking about ever since, was a slice of flourless chocolate cake at Giorgio on Pine. This isn’t quite that cake, but it’s a good step closer than, say, this truffle cake (despite having a fairly similar ingredient list). It’s intensely rich and chocolatey. Giorgio’s cake is still a bit smoother/creamier textured, but if you let this one come up to room temperature, it’s close! Either way, it’s the chocolate-i-est thing I’ve ever made, and it’s fantastic!

IMG_4300Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 10 ounces bittersweet, 6 of semisweet)
  • 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Ganache:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon strong brewed coffee (skipped this)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9″ round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment as well.

In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently. When only a few chunks of solid chocolate remain, remove from heat and continue stirring until the residual heat has melted the remaining bits.

IMG_4291Drizzle the egg yolks into the melted chocolate while whisking the chocolate to prevent the eggs from cooking, then stir in the vanilla.

IMG_4292In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and beat until firm peaks form.

IMG_4293Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined. Gently turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan.

Place the cake pan in a large baking dish/roasting pan, and fill the outer pan with water until the water comes up to half the cake pan’s height. My jelly roll pan was the only pan I had big enough to fit the cake pan, which was not ideal (trying to move something full of water with such low walls is a nightmare), but worked out alright.

IMG_4295Place both pans into the preheated oven and bake 30 minutes, until the top and sides are set. It’s ok if the middle is still jiggly.

IMG_4296Let the cake cool in the pan, then run a knife/spatula inside the edge of the pan. Flip out onto a platter/cutting board, remove the parchment if necessary, then flip onto your serving platter. Store in the refrigerator to set.

IMG_4297 IMG_4298To prepare the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Do be sure to sift the cocoa powder, as mouthfuls of unsweetened cocoa powder are a bit gross. I actually was worried that this wouldn’t be sweet enough, but once I tried it, I was into it!

IMG_4299Let the mixture sit until it has thickened some (at least half an hour), and then pour/spread over the cake, and refrigerate until set. It will never become a hard shell, but will stay in place and you can lightly touch it without it coming off on your hands.

IMG_4302 IMG_4303Store the cake in the fridge, and let come to room temperature when serving.

Jasmin is interested in food of any type. (But no, I didn't give her a pound of chocolate.)

Jasmin is interested in food of any type. (But no, I didn’t give her a pound of chocolate.)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

From CakeSpy.

Cake:

  • 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Ganache:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon strong brewed coffee
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9″ round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment as well.

In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently. When only a few chunks of solid chocolate remain, remove from heat and continue stirring until the residual heat has melted the remaining bits. Drizzle the egg yolks into the melted chocolate while whisking the chocolate to prevent the eggs from cooking, then stir in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and beat until firm peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined. Gently turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan.

Place the cake pan in a large baking dish/roasting pan, and fill the outer pan with water until the water comes up to half the cake pan’s height. Place both pans into the preheated oven and bake 30 minutes, until the top and sides are set.

Let the cake cool in the pan, then run a knife/spatula inside the edge of the pan. Flip out onto a platter/cutting board, remove the parchment if necessary, then flip onto your serving platter. Store in the refrigerator to set.

To prepare the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Let the mixture sit until it has thickened some, and then pour/spread over the cake, and refrigerate until set.

Store the cake in the fridge, and let come to room temperature when serving.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments