Zucchini and Pasta with Wine Flavored Cheese

A great dinner that came together quickly, pasta with zucchini and wine flavored cheese.  I didnt want to forget it.  If you dont  have wine flavored cheese, dont even bother.  It is truly what makes it.  Though, probably, if you boil the pasta in wine and wine to the dish, you may get the same effect... I will have to give that a try.

We started a new thing on Sundays here in our family.  We spend an hour together watching videos from You Tube on things that will help us all grow personally.  My kids pooh paw it, well, one of them does but I think it has been a worth while endeavor and so does my husband.  We will keep going with it despite a few protests now and then.  I wanted to share the line up for this week.








Zucchini and Pasta with Wine Flavored Cheese

4 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
handful of cherry tomatoes, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings*
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon flaked hot pepper, optional
8 oz shredded wine flavored cheese
1 pound Boiled pasta, I love Fideo, you can just break up your own spaghetti and get the saem effect.

Saute onion and zucchini in oil until tender. Add seasonings and tomatoes. Toss the cooked pasta into the sauteed vegetables. Remove from heat and add cheese and hot pepper flakes.  Serve and enjoy!

*You can use a combination of 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano if you are in a pinch.

Tteokbokki

Did you ever watch Maangchi on You Tube? Love her vidoes, she's cute, informative and fun.  This is one of  her dishes, well, inspired by one of her dishes.  I did not have the ingredients she had in her tutorial.  I did buy the rice logs frozen at our local Asian market.  I would like to make them some time though.  A future post... 

I did not have the fish cake, the next time I will be sure to add that.  I kind of made my recipe from a  bunch of different ideas on the internet.  Here is a link to one of the recipes.

TTEOKBOKKI

4 cubes vegetable bouillon (mine)

1 quart water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

juice of 2 limes

2 tabelspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 generous teaspoon chili oil

1 tablespoon gochugaru flakes (Korean chili flakes)

1 tablespoon palm sugar

4 large cloves garlic

5 scallions sliced in 2 inch pieces

rice logs

Soak rice cakes in warm water for 10 mins.

In a large pot stir bouillon into water.  Add salt, white pepper, juice of two limes, fish sauce,  chili oil, palm sugar, gochugaru flakes and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  add rice cakes and onion. Bring to a boil again and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 to 20 mins until the rice cakes are fully cooked. 

Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion then quickly stir. Serve warm.

Pizzelles

My daughter and I made pizzelles, mainly because we wanted to try our hand at making waffle cones.  And I think we did it.  The problem was that our pizzelle maker is small.  It made a very dinky cone.  Sigh.  I was disappointed because I wanted to show my daughter a do it your self way to make waffle cones.  Note to self, when this daughter is older, buy her a big pizzelle maker.

My husband was so jazzed when he saw the pizzelles.  Every time he sees a pizzelle, he thinks of his grandmother, Marie, who would make a ton of pizzelle at Christmas time and give them to everyone she knew.  He said there would be piles of pizzelles all over the kitchen.  Every counter and shelf would be loaded!

PIZZELLES

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla.  Add in flour and baking powder.  Beat in melted butter.

Coat pizzelle maker with butter or non stick cooking spray.

Pour about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter onto pizzelle base. Close and wait about 3-4 minutes.

Your pizzelle maker is probably different. Adjust accordingly.

These can store for a lont time.  Like a biscotti.  Keep in a tightly closed tin.

Norwegian School Bread

I made them again.  So delicious.  These I liked a lot more.  Tender and delicious and the cream filling... amazing.  If you don't like the idea of the cream, skip it and just make the buns, so worth it!

I always think of the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot in Disney when I eat these. 

Norwegian School Bread
Makes 15 buns.

dough:
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 teaspoons dry instant yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups plain flour
1 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

wash:
1 egg, lightly beaten

coconut coating:
1/3 cup (50g) pure icing sugar, mixed with 2 tsp water
Desiccated coconut, to coat

creme patissiere:
1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
2 tbs cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract

dough: In a saucepan,  heat milk and butter over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat, set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer or in a regular bowl combine all the dry ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, cardamom. 

Add the cooled milk and butter (should be about 110°F or you are able to hold your finger in it for 10 seconds comfortably). Use your hands to form a soft dough (or the mixer). Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Take dough out of bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, fold over itself and deflate. Divide dough into 3 and roll each piece into a log. Divide each log into 5 even pieces and shape into rounds.

Place on lined baking sheets or one big one if you have it.  Cover with clean tea towels. Set aside for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 395°F.

creme patissiere: Heat milk in a pan over medium-high heat. Whisk remaining ingredients together until smooth. As soon as milk bubbles, pour into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture back to the pan and place over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool completely.


preparing to bake: Press deep indentations in each bun. Using a piping bag fill each bun with creme patissiere. Brush dough on sides and tops of buns with beaten egg. Bake, rotating trays halfway, for 20 minutes or until golden and risen. Cool slightly on wire racks.

coconut coating: Brush buns with icing glaze, then roll in coconut to serve.

Protein Packed Almond Flour Banana Muffins

These are delicious and pretty healthy as far as baked goods go.  I didn't think my kids would like them but they did.  I also thought if they did eat them, they would only eat where the chocolate was, on top. Yes, it happens a lot.  Eat only the tops of the cupcakes where the frosting is.

You can expect a little deflation.  There are a lot of eggs in these.  See below in the pic, they are kind of poofed and above they are not, these are the same muffins.

Almond Flour Banana Muffins
If you don't have coconut flour, use corn starch.

Makes about 18 muffins.

4 bananas, ripe
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut oil

6 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°.  Get ready some muffin tins lined with papers.

Throw all these ingredients into your blender and give it a whirl until it is completely combined.  Pour into muffin cups.  Bake for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Stick a toothpick in and make sure it comes out clean. So easy!

I added a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips to the tops of my muffins before putting them in the oven.
On a couple I inserted three black berries into each.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

 

This bread is one of the first successful breads I made. The recipe was given to me by a woman I worked with at the RIT Counseling Center, CB. So delicious and pretty easy. 

It's very economical to make your own bread.  This loaf, which blows any cinnamon swirl bread out of the water, can be made for less than a dollar.  Two loaves for one dollar, if that, really.  One of the loaves is twice as big as the ones you find in a bag at the supermarket.  CrAzY, right?  And seriously, one day off, your doing things around the house, it won't take you any time at all.  You can even make multiples and freeze them or give them away to dazzle your friends and family! 

CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD

If you have instant yeast, you do not have to worry about having warm water to help with rising.  You always have to worry about liquids being too hot though.  The best way to test it is to stick your finger in the liquid, if you can keep your finger comfortably submersed for 15 seconds, your good to go.  If you don't use instant yeast, you will have to make sure your liquids are about 110°F

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) instant dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast 

1/3 cup warm water, maybe a bit more

1 cup warm whole milk 

1 cup sugar, divided

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, butter, salt and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 18x8-in. rectangle; sprinkle each with about 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans, seam side down.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

BUTTER BEER CAKE

I started my new job!  What????  Did my first week there and I really like it so far.  It has a lot of positives.  It's 40 hours and I do miss my old 35 hours a bit.  Getting home later leaves even less time for things that need to get done. Eh.  I am learning to live with not done and lower expectations.  

Thank Goodness for my little minions kids.  They do their part.  Thank goodness.  I definitely need to up their game a little.  They think Saturday morning is the be all end all of cleaning.  We need to work more on picking up after yourself and tidying up on a daily basis.  I can't complain though, I have great kids who are growing, very quickly, into fine young adults.  Don't get me wrong, things are no rosy... but hey, when are things rosy.

I gave my oldest daughter some choices on what cake she would like for her birthday.  She chose butter beer, all Harry Potter like.

I am going to give you two different recipes for this cake here.  The one with cream soda I made and found to be so very dense.  I like the idea of putting the pudding in but I don't think the cream soda much matters.  I think I need to tweak it a bit.  The flavor is good though.

The other cake is much lighter and more of the outcome I wanted.  

Somewhere in between these two cakes is the perfect cake.  I will get back to you on that.

Oh, the frosting... omg! COMPLETELY addicting.  Use it at your own risk!

BUTTER BEER CAKE

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3.5 oz butterscotch instant pudding mix one package
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 1/4 cups cream soda clear
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.   Spray or grease and line 2- 9" rounds with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, pudding mix, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 4 mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.

Alternate adding flour mixture and cream soda, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of cream soda). Fully incorporating after each addition.

Bake for about 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Place cakes on wire rack to cool completely.

BUTTER BEER CAKE PART II

2 cups cake flour (like Swan's Down)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar or brown sugar blend, packed
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp butter flavoring

Preheat oven to 350F.   Spray or grease and line 2- 9" rounds with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 4 mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and butter flavoring.  Add buttermilk and finally the flour mixture. 

Bake for about 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Place cakes on wire rack to cool completely.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING

1/4 cup butter, and 1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar or brown sugar blend


In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 1/4 cup butter. Once the butter is browned, add the flour to the pot and whisk together.

Slowly whisk in the milk, working out any lumps. Keep whisking while bringing the mixture to a boil so it thickens.

Remove the pot from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and and let cool. If you try to move ahead while it is warm in anyway, this will not work. Be patient. Beat together butter and powdered sugar and then add flour mixture. Cream together until fluffy.

Molasses Cookies

Now that the Holidays are done and everyon e is counting calories, I have time to post some of my favorite cookie recipes.  Ha!  Great timing, go me!

I don't like molasses cookie recipes that have so little molasses in them.  I like some serious molasses flavor!  I found this recipe on the Land O Lakes website. 

MOLASSES COOKIES

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.  No need to grease cookie sheets.

Beat together butter, brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate 1-2 hours or until firm.

Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten balls with glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8-11 minutes or until set.

S'MORE CAKE WRECK

This was, by the way, the pretty side of the cake.

I found a cake recipe on the Internet and I am sad to say, it was an utter fail.  I think the idea behind the cake was fabulous and the cake itself was pretty good but I think I may tweak it a little.  The fluff frosting.  Ah, well there was the problem.  It was very tight, dense and heavy.  (I did make it twice too.) By the time it was ready to serve the cake the fluff had slid off the cake and connected itself en mass to the side of the dome cake cover.  Sigh.  So I had to cut it away from the side.  As I lifted it, it pulled the whole cake like a toupee, right off the top.  Finally, upon setting it down it looked like an utter mess.

I have made fluff before when I made Dorie Greenspan's marshmallows.  So I will use that recipe, of course, omitting the setting agent, gelatin.

Here is the recipe, in its original form.  I am not adding the person who posted the recipe because that is not my intent to point fingers.  I like the idea of the cake and there are many good points about it. It is a 'not too sweet cake' which is surprising as it is a s'more cake and we all know, if you ate a s'more, it's cloyingly sweet.  I will definitely make the cake again but with some tweakage.  I will keep you posted.


S'MORES CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not over mix.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the top with a spatula and whack the pans against the counter to evenly distribute.
Bake for approx. 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins. Whack the pans on the counter to loosen the cakes and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.



Fluff
This would be great to just eat by the spoon

1/3 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup or honey
3 large egg whites room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place water, sugar, and corn syrup (or honey) in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
Ensure mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease free.*
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks. Approx 3-4mins.
When the whites are ready, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.**
Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. The whites will deflate at first, but they will thicken and fluff up.
Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled.
Pour into an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

CRANBERRY LIME CHUTNEY

I wouldn't be lying if I told you that my dear hubby has been eating this stuff straight up.  I tried to explain that it is a condiment of sorts or a side to complement something else, like turkey.  He's pretty sure its perfectly okay to eat it by the spoon full!

The first time I made it, I did not have an orange to complete the recipe but I was all in at that point so I went ahead and made it anyway.  This past time I included the orange.  OMG!  It really made a difference.  I will be making it a third time very soon with the last of my frozen cranberries.

CRANBERRY LIME CHUTNEY

2 c. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 large orange, peeled, pith removed, cut into 1/4" slices
1 T. grated lime zest
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pared, cored, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2-3 tablespoons water

In a saucepan combine all the ingredients, except cornstarch mixture, and cook on medium low until the cranberries have popped and everything is tender. Add the cornstarch and cook until it thickens.