Happy Belated.. or maybe Early.. Birthday to Me

So I celebrated my 24th birthday almost ten months ago. And almost ten months ago Shauna came and visited me for my birthday and we made delicious ice cream sandwiches.  So what are my excuses for this late blog post? I moved out of my apartment,  I finished my job of two years, moved to Atlanta, and started Clinical Psychology grad school.. the list goes on but I don't really believe any of them are truly legit so I'll stop. Let's just say I'm sorry and I'm posting about these anyways because they were really delicious and we took beautiful pictures and they deserve to be shared.

Who doesn't love ice cream sandwiches? Delicious, soft cookies with ice cream? You can't really go wrong. Something easy to make and that doesn't require plates or silverware.. That's the type of dessert we were looking for to celebrate my birthday with 15+ people before going out. After perusing our different favorite blogs and online recipe collections we decided on ice cream sandwiches, and being the crazy bakers that we are we decided to make 3 different types of cookies: snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, and triple chocolate chunk. 

Made a little bit of a dent in my pantry. 

Snickerdoodles before and after- I love the way the cinnamon sugar looks.

Triple chocolate chunk before and after- the mini m&ms look so fun!

And we had to have a classic- the famous chocolate-chip cookies that you can always find at the Gonsalves home.

Yummm..

Laid out next to some Bud Light- ready to party..

Throw in some vanilla ice cream and there you go..

Snickerdoodle ice cream sandwich..

Doing a little mix-and-match..

Snickerdoodle Recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinammon
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Cream together butter, 1/2 cup white sugar and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder
3. Incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients
4. On a plate, mix cinnamon and 2 tablespoons white sugar
5. Roll cookies and cover in cinnamon sugar and place on lightly greased baking sheet
6. bake for 12-14 minutes at 325 degrees.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (adapted Tyler Florence's recipe):

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda
3. Incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. Scoop cookies and place on lightly greased baking sheet
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini M&Ms

1. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
3. Incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients
4. Fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms
5. Scoop cookies and place on lightly greased baking sheet
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Anyone who knows me knows I love birthdays- I love other people's birthdays and I love my birthday.. I especially love celebrating my birthday all month. While even I'll admit 10 months is a little too much- let's say this is a kick-off two-months before my 25th, which is going to be a big one. That seems appropriate..

Also so does this song- given the gluttonous sugar consumption above and the fact that Shauna and I sometimes sing this to each other: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgxlAqjeio0&noredirect=1

Chocolate Molten Cake

Valentine's Day has never really been a big deal for me. I've sort of found myself to be following a Liz Lemon path, so I feel more like this:

Or this:

But really this:

I've never been one of those people that gets flowers or chocolates from their parents - I was told that my dad was mom's valentine and I would get presents when I found a valentine of my own (I was only slightly crushed). But when you don't have someone to buy you fancy chocolates, sometimes you have to make some for yourself.

I've been making chocolate molten lava cakes for years. It's always been for some birthday/holiday/reunion because I've only managed to make them in bulk. Which isn't really an issue because I always seem to be surrounded by people that love chocolate as much as I do. But since those friends and family are not close at hand and because there is no earthly reason for me to eat 18 chocolate cakes, I'll settle for a much smaller (and quicker) version of one of my favorite desserts.

When 2.. 

..become 1. 

Before

After

Chocolate Molten Cake
Serves one
*this recipe can easily be doubled if baking for two*

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the chocolate chunks from Trader Joes)
1 egg
4 tsps. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. all-purpose flour.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a cookie sheet in the oven. Generously spray a ramekin with cooking spray. I used a 2 cup pyrex bowl, but I wouldn't go any larger than that.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds. Mix to combine and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and sugar. Add the chocolate mixture slowly, be careful not to cook the egg with the warm chocolate. Stir until fully incorporated.
4. Add salt and flour and mix until just combined. Pour into ramekin/pyrex bowl.
5. Bake for 7-13 minutes - cooking time will vary depending on the size of the dish so keep an eye on it. (I put mine in for about 14 minutes and it was only slightly molten. For a more gooey center, the less cook time the better. But make sure that the top is set before taking it out.)
6. Slide a knife around the edge of the dish (if you sprayed/buttered the dish enough the cake should not stick) and invert onto a plate. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Grownup Snow Days

I remember how much I loved snow days as a kid. I would wake up extra early to wait for that phone call from the PTA snow tree. I'd be glued to the TV to see "BALDWIN: CLOSED" scroll across the screen. And that first snowfall was always so beautiful to watch.

When the phone rang it signaled one thing: FREEDOM. And so many snowmen. My brother and I would pile on the layers and head outside for a day that would usually end with me pushing him in a snow drift. And let's not forget this great movie.

These days snow days aren't as fun. It's not really a day off because remote access for work is a thing that exists. And then you need to dig out your car. By yourself. And it's miserable. Not to mention that this winter it seems like it's snowed every week.

But being snowed in means it's the perfect time for baking. For the last couple weeks I have been meaning to make blueberry muffins. I've been trying to eat fewer processed foods and I figured this would be a quick and easy breakfast option (I'll never give up my carbs). But I only have blackberries in the fridge - I've been mashing them into plain greek yogurt and it's been wonderful. So I used a variation of this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blackberry_muffins/. And since this post is about muffins I'm just gonna leave you with this.

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients

One of my favorite fruits

Be careful not to over-mix the batter

Yum

Yummier

Blackberry Muffins
18 muffins

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 stick butter (melted) 
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, halved

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 2 muffin pans (I used canola spray). Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, yogurt, vanilla, milk, and butter until combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Gently stir in the blackberries. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, until just full.
6. Bake for about 17-20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes - just stick a toothpick or knife in one or two muffins to see if it comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pans for 2 or 3 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

New Year, New City, Same Blog

I'm really not sure how to start this post. Maybe it's because Titanic is on in the background and it's the part when the old couple is lying in the bed and the mom puts her kids to sleep and basically everyone is dying at once (spoiler alert).

But it's probably because it's been a very long time since my last post. A lot of things have happened in the last few months - new job, moved to a new city. It's been a crazy last few months but it feels like I finally have at least some of my life together. I miss my family, friends, and life in New York, but it's really nice to start fresh in a new city.

smitten kitchen has been a blog I have been slightly obsessed with for a few years. The writer's (and chef's) photographs are beautiful, as are her recipes. She has been blogging for years and has so many recipes to choose from - she has a great recipe index which is broken down into several categories. I was very lucky to get her book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, for Christmas this year. I'm starting to develop a pretty good cookbook collection (it includes Franny's, which is kind of awesome) and can only hope it gets to be as large as my mom's!

So I figured I would kick off the new year with a recipe from my favorite blog (obviously besides my mom's). And following in the original tradition on the blog, here's some Celine so you can feel all the feels I'm feeling now after watching Leo die for the 87364736 time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmbw8OycJrE.

This probably took the most amount of time..

I like to add extra veggies because I love them.

See you in 20 minutes, delicious stew

So much success

Yum.

Spinach and White Bean Stew

3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cup stock (I used chicken, but vegetable is fine too)
1 cup pureed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes (more or less depending on how much heat you want)
1/2 lb. fresh spinach, cleaned, tough stems removed

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallot, and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. The SK recipe suggests letting it brown and I agree.

Add wine, scrape up any bits stuck to the pot, and cook until reduced by about three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, some salt and pepper, thyme, red chile flakes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until broth thickens. Add spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove thyme and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you would like a thinner stew, add more broth.

Serve over toasted sourdough with a poached egg**. The bread adds a great crunch to the dish.

**This is the FIRST time I've ever made a poached egg!! I'm very excited about it. But I will NOT be showing pictures because 1) I didn't take any; and 2) it looked really weird and I probably didn't get it right but it tasted fine? so I'm going with a success. For your own poached egg tutorial take a look at the smitten kitchen version, which I used.

This stew is pretty hearty, and great for these frigid temps, but if you need meat in your life you can sear off some stew meat (Trader Joe's sells it ready to cook) and stir it in after adding the broth and tomatoes. Just make sure the meat is covered by enough liquid.

You can also opt for kale or swiss chard instead of spinach. But be sure to cook these tougher greens in water before adding them to the beans.

Meat Sauce Bolognese

A few days ago I really felt like making Italian food. This isn't a weird feeling for me, I love love love all Italian food, and the more often I get to eat it the better. But I decided to make it this week because my mom is out of town. She's in San Francisco with my aunt and uncle anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to our family! And while she's there she gets to hang out with this little nugget 

who is going to be a big sister very soon. Now don't get me wrong, I love my mom, but sometimes when she goes away it feels a lot like this. But I also miss her a lot and I know my dad and brother do, too. It's only been a few days, but the house looks and feels a little (okay, a lot) emptier.

Before she left, since she's amazing, my mom cooked enough food to feed the three of us for 2 solid weeks. It only took her 2 days to make everything. Yeah, I feel unaccomplished. But before we start on what she made, I thought I'd make something of my own. Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen has a bunch of really great recipes, so I decided on a bolognese sauce. It is absolutely one of my favorite types of sauces. And it's really easy to make, which is great when my mom is out of town because I don't have to call her a bunch of times with questions like where is that thing we used that time we made those things for brunch (she'd know exactly what I'm talking about, too)?

Unfortunately, while the sauce was cooking I ate some grapes. Normally that would be fine, I love grapes. But these must have been demon grapes or something because about half an hour after eating them I got so sick and was doubled over because it felt like someone was punching me in the gut. No one has ever punched me in the gut (does getting kicked into the corner of the couch by my brother count?) but I imagine that is what it would feel like. So my dream of having a nice family dinner with meat sauce and garlic bread was trashed. Instead I got to watch my dad and brother inhale multiple helpings. They ate all the garlic bread so maybe it was a good thing I couldn't eat. But that's okay, because there's nothing like watching someone enjoy a meal that you've made for them.

It took me half an hour to cut this. I greatly underestimated my chopping skills. 

WINE. This is also a great wine for drinking. I never know what a dry wine is, so I just open anything and it always tastes great. 

I really love mixing different ground meats together. I am usually a fan of substituting turkey, but for this dish the original meats are way better. The fattiness of the beef and pork amplify the flavor of the sauce so why would you want to deprive your tastebuds of that goodness?

Post-wine. I actually started the sauce in a non-stick pot, but I switched to a stainless steel one before adding the meat. One of the best parts of the sauce is scraping up the browned bits of meat at the bottom, and that doesn't happen on a non-stick surface. 

You can also use San Marzano canned Italian plum tomatoes. They have a great flavor and I probably would've used them if I had them. 

See you in 3+ hours.

Meat Sauce Bolognese
Serves 6 

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (dried oregano is also great)
Water as needed
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Steps:
1. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat.
2. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook while stirring until the onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Season lightly with salt. **It's always best to underseason now and make up for it later.**
3. Stir in the beef and pork and break it up using the spoon. Cook until the liquid the meat gives off evaporates, about 10-15 minutes. Make sure you really brown the meat.
4. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour in the tomatoes and add the bay leaves and thyme (or other herbs). Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat so it sits at a simmer. Let the sauce cook for 2-3 hours, the longer the better (in my opinion this is the hardest part). Add water periodically to keep the meat and vegetables covered. Give it a stir eery half hour. Some people like to skim the oil off the top of the sauce. But I just reincorporate it because that adds to its deliciousness.

Boil some pasta, grab some garlic bread and parmesan cheese, and enjoy.

Beans, Beans, They're Good For Your Heart

I love beans. Love 'em. Baked beans, fava beans, black-eyed peas (I had to check, but they're totally beans), chickpeas (which are also beans, damnit, why are all these peas beans), you see where I'm going with this.

And I already talked about how much I love Mexican food in my last post. I have spent a considerable amount of time researching the place(s) to go for wonderful (cheap) tacos. One of my favorites in NYC is Tacos y Quesadillas. It's a cart, but it has consistently been awesome every time I've gone. The hot sauce is *~hot~* so watch out, but it's perfect with the less spicy huaraches or carnitas taco. Also, on the last two trips I made to DC I had tacos. One time was Korean tacos but whatever they're still delicious.

ANYWAY, I digress, we were talking about beans. So the other day the weather was really gross and rainy so I wanted to make something warm and hearty. Like a chowder (pronounced "chowdah").  But since my mom had marinated an ancho chile-rubbed pork tenderloin, I decided on this super easy Rick Bayless recipe for Mexican Beans with Chorizo and Greens.  I've made it before and it was really great. The last time I used extra chipotle chiles because there were only a couple left and what was I gonna do with 2 tiny chipotles, but it was super spicy so I decided to (mostly) stick to the recipe this time. Both times I've made it I didn't use chorizo and just made a vegetarian version instead. I'm sure the chorizo adds a whole new level to this dish, but it's still really good without it.

I love garlic so much so I usually add more than the recipe calls for. It's never a bad decision.

The recipe actually calls for the chiles to be seeded. I've tried that before and it was a HUGE pain. Look at these things. And there are SO MANY seeds. They definitely contribute to the spice of the chiles, so if you're worried about spiciness try adding one chile at first, then tasting and adjusting the level after the beans have simmered. 

BEANS. Definitely be sure to drain AND rinse them!

Funny how these black beans are actually all different colors.. 

This is NEW from Trader Joe's. Instead of buying a huge bunch of Swiss chard this packet is a big time saver and is ideal when you can't get really great Swiss chard. TJ's also has a kale version of this. I recommend both. 

Microwave-ready Swiss chard

It shrinks to about a third of the size. If you love greens you can always add more. You can also use spinach if Swiss chard isn't your thing. But who doesn't love Swiss chard? If you don't, get out. 

 You can serve this as a side dish or over rice. I would add some tostones for good measure.

Mexican Beans with Greens (haha rhyming)
Serves 4-5 people

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 15-oz cans black beans (or kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, stemmed and finely chopped
3-4 cups Swiss chard, sliced
Crumbled feta (or queso fresco if you're lucky), for garnish
Canola oil
Salt to taste

Steps:
1. Heat a little oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Saute the onion until browned and add the garlic.
3. Stir for about a minute and then add the beans, chiles, and 1 1/2 cups water.
4. Let the beans simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the Swiss chard in a microwave safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in the top. Microwave for 3 minutes, until it wilts.
5. Add the microwaved greens to the beans and stir. Season with salt to taste.
6. Serve and garnish with feta.

Chipotle Meatballs

I really love Mexican food. Don't get me wrong, I love all Latin food (that I've tried), but Mexican food is definitely a winner. Not a huge fan of Tex-Mex. But hand me a plate of cochinita pibil and I'm a happy girl. Part of the reason I love going to Austin so much (besides seeing my wonderful family, duh) is for really authentic Mexican food. The last time I visited my aunt and uncle, they took us to Azul Tequila, a really great restaurant where the food was just amazing. Of course I had the cochinita pibil, and I was not disappointed.

Sadly, my options for authentic (and relatively cheap) Mexican food are limited up North. So when I get a craving, I turn to Rick Bayless. This guy definitely knows his Mexican cuisine - his recipes and directions are straightforward and foolproof, and he usually provides suggestions for alternative ingredients, methods of cooking, etc. Bayless is based in Chicago with three main restaurants and two "fast-food" locales in O'Hare (Chicago's airport) and the Macy's on State Street. A couple years ago Nikita and I took a trip to Chicago with our moms. We actually went to see the Glee concert, which was pretty awesome - especially when my mom gasped when Artie (the character in the wheelchair) stands up during a song. She didn't realize he wasn't actually permanently in the chair. That he's just an actor. Playing a character. Oh, Mom. Anyway, the highlight of the trip was hands down our dinner at Frontera Grill. A close second was lunch at the Frontera Fresco in Macy's. It took a while to find, but was definitely worth it. Honestly, two of the best places I've ever eaten in my life.

One of my favorite Rick Bayless recipes is from his book Mexican Everyday. These chipotle meatballs are really easy to make and they turn out great. The original recipe calls for ground pork, which is what I usually use, but this time I opted for turkey - because that's what was in the freezer. You can adjust the spiciness of the dish by removing the seeds of the chipotles. The seeds really pack the heat, so if you want less of that you can take them out. However, removing the seeds of canned chipotles can be extremely tedious - if you want less heat, just try using fewer chilies.

Chipotle Meatballs
Makes 16-18 meatballs

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (3/4 cup if you're using panko like I did)
Kosher salt
1 1/4 lbs. ground pork (or turkey, beef, lamb)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
28-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 to 2 chipotle chiles en adobo (canned), stemmed and seeded (leave the seeds in for spicier flavors)
1 to 2 Tbsps. chipotle canning sauce
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (or regular)

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a food processor, combine bacon and 1 garlic clove until finely chopped.

3. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Pulse to combine.

4. Then add the pork and mint and mix until everything is combined, but not into a paste.

**Take out the blade from the food processor.**











5. Form the meat into 16-18 spheres. The smaller the size, the more you'll have. Space them out in a large baking dish. You can lightly grease the dish with an oil spray, but the fat from both the bacon and the meat should be enough to prevent any major sticking.

 

6. Bake until lightly browned without turning, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs.

7. While the meatballs are baking, clean the food processor and combine the tomatoes and their juice, chipotles, canning sauce, oregano, 2 garlic cloves (halved), and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Process until pureed.

8. When the meatballs are done, pour on the tomato puree, evenly covering the dish. Bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes.

I love this recipe because it's fast, delicious, and has an easy cleanup! I really like that it's also versatile and can be made a variety of ways. I decided to serve these meatballs with white rice and red beans with swiss chard, my riff on a Mexican Everyday recipe. A great (spicy!) combination!

Since I mentioned them earlier, it would make sense to leave you with a song from Glee, but this latest season has really turned me off from the show. No, Ryan Murphy, I would not like you to watch you cram every experience in this world into a show about a high school glee club. So instead I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4pjrmH967c Can't wait to (hopefully) (maybe) see them at Governor's Ball this summer!