Cheesy Sun-dried Tomato Meatball Poppers

Game day or Valentine's Day these are an impressive appetizer! Cheesy Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatball Poppers are packed with Italian flavors, cheesy and moist meatballs loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, and tasty fresh herbs and spices.
Continue Reading »

Game day or Valentine's Day these are an impressive appetizer! Cheesy Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatball Poppers are packed with Italian flavors, cheesy and moist meatballs loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, and tasty fresh herbs and spices.
Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Unblogged Files: January 2013

Yo yo, January round-up! It didn't feel particularly busy, but here I am at the end of the month with a heap o' pictures to share! That doesn't even include the things I've already blogged (Shimbashi, Spring Street Grocery) or the things that I'll be blogging very shortly (a fab Australia Day concert/lunch at Rochford Winery, my endlessly Instagrammable breakfasts, round 2 of the Lobster Dinner...)

Here we go!

It was hot this month, I got obsessed with frozen yogurt - particularly Yo-Chi in Balaclava, which we visited a bunch of times. They seem to be constantly crazy busy, but the queues move pretty quickly, and the friendly staff seem to direct the crowd and clean up efficiently. I think Cacao Green has slightly higher quality products, but it's fun building your own fro-yo at Yo-Chi and adding all the different toppings. (Although it does get expensive if you go overboard!) Worth a visit!

Yo-Chi, Balaclava

I even had these big plans to do an epic comparison post between Yochi, Cacao Green, Tutti Frutti and Igloo Zoo... but then I OD'd on froyo and am totally over it. For now...

Speaking of obsessions - GLICKS!

Glicks Challah, Challah Bagel, Normal Bagel

On one of my visits to Yochi, I realised that the Carlisle street Glicks is open til late on Thursdays. Yay! Cue me wolfing down loaves and loaves of freshly-baked fluffy soft challah, and enjoying excellent bagels for breakfast. LOVE!

We made a visit to The People's Market, which was a pleasant way to spend a weekend afternoon. I wasn't too interested in the art or shopping stands, but really liked the different food stalls/trucks. (The food stands seem to rotate too, so I want to visit again in a few weeks' time!)

The People's Market

Vegan Chilli Dog - $8
Pink Lemonade - $4
Passionfruit Iced Tea - $4

It sounds like an oxymoron, but we were really impressed by the Vegan chilli dog from South - it was fantastic, and this is coming from me (a committed carnivore) and Sandra (who is German and therefore an authority on sausages). It wasn't just good "for a vegan dog", it was good for a hot dog, full stop. Great stuff! Just quietly, we liked the vegan chilli dog from South better than the real meat meatballs from The Meatball Company, which were a little underwhelming.

We had some blistering hot days this month, which means one thing: beach! I'm loving Chelsea beach right now...

Chelsea Beach

And trekking out to Chelsea always means stopping off in Springvale for cheap and tasty Vietnamese food. Yum! I've been enjoying Pho Hung Vuong and Pho Huong Dakao - but am happy to take recommendations! What's your fave place in Springvale?

Top left: Pho Ga from Pho Hung Vuong
Everything else from Pho Huong Dakao

We enjoyed a fab BBQ at Adrian's place - so much meat and so many Filipino treats! The BBQ lamb adobo with chilli dressing was Amaaaazing!

Meatfeast

I also made some meringues to bring along...

Shiny meringues

...so that we could make bowls of refreshing sweet Eton Mess. Perfect summer dessert, amirite?

Eton Mess

And in total contrast to that meat feast, lunch the next day was at Yong Green Food. I love their Macro Dragon Bowl, all healthy and nourishing with brown rice, chunks of tempeh and a fab lemon tahini sauce.

Macro Dragon Bowl - $18

Before dinner at Shimbashi, I ducked into Ombra Salumi Bar on Bourke street for a sneaky solo Friday-night tipple. I loved the negroni bianco I ordered, and totally want to go back to try their cichetti and salumi!

Negroni Bianco - Gin, Cocchi Americano, Cynar, Doli n Dry - $18

My friend Jeremy had a Mexican-themed birthday party - Jeremy made excellent tequila cocktails, and his girlfriend Val made fantastic tacos, using these incredible white corn tortillas that she ordered online from El Cielo. (They're miles above the standard supermarket tortillas, and certainly better than the hard cracker-like things I made when I attempted making tortillas myself!) Definitely buying the El Cielo ones next time.

El Cielo Tortillas

My contribution to the party was Nigella's flourless chocolate lime cake with margarita cream... very moist and super delicious. (This reminds me that Nigella has a whole range of flourless chocolate cake recipes I should try - she certainly loves riffing on a theme! I can also heartily recommend her chocolate espresso cake with caffe latte cream!)

Nigella's flourless chocolate lime cake with margarita cream

Val also got these super cute lego cakes from Burch & Purchese. They're so cute I can't handle it! They tasted seriously good too - each colour was a different flavour and was made up of a wonderfully light mousse and thin sponge base.

Burch & Purchese lego cake

Another friend brought a ricotta cheesecake - there was So Much Cake! Phew!

For one of our regular mid-week Miranda-viewing nights (yes, we have standing dates with different groups of friends to watch Miranda on different nights of the week and no, I'm not ashamed), I whipped up a batch of Dan Lepard's Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins - wonderful stuff, especially with the crunch of salted peanuts. (The use of peanut butter in the batter is such a great idea too!) I thought they could have used a little extra sugar, but my friends seemed to like them!

Dan Lepard's chocolate and peanut butter muffins

PS I got those cute muffin cups from Daiso in Japan back in 2007. Cuuuute, right?

My friend Anna recently bought her own house - complete with pizza oven in the backyard, jealous! - and she had us over for a great pizza party. We got to assemble our own pizzas and cook them in the amazing oven. (For some reason no-one was taking the fior di latte, so I loaded up my pizza with it. Yummmmm).

Pizza party

Dessert was a make your own sundae bar (much like Yo-Chi, come to think of it), with loads of toppings (berries, Oreos, chocolate peanut butter fudge sauce...) and Anna's own homemade chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. So much deliciousness!

Sundae!

Dumplings at Luyang Dumpling House in Box Hill. They were a little rougher than, say, Mr Huang Jin, but very cheap and tasty. On this visit we only had dumplings, but I saw and smelled some cumin lamb coming out of the kitchen while we were there and it smelled amazing! Must try next time.

Clockwise from left: Pan fried pork dumplings, Xiao Long Bao, Chive Dumplings

Sandra made these incredibly cute Egg Cakelets as a weekend project. Yes, they are literally baked inside an eggshell, and they are too cute to function! (The recipe and steps are on this post at The Cupcake Project if you'd like to try them yourself!)

Egg cakelet

Chinese New Year is coming, and in preparation we've decorated the flat and stocked up on CNY cookies! Kuih kapit (centre) and kuih bangkit (right) are so addictive. I can't stop!

And finally, last night I attended the launch of Pawn & Co, a speakeasy-style bar in the surprising location of Chapel Street Prahran. (Directly above the Fitness First and opposite the KFC, for realsies).

The drinks list is inspired by the Prohibition era and foodwise, they tap into the current trend for sliders and meatballs. Their schtick is that everything in the venue is for sale. That's everything, from the decorations, to the chairs, to the bar, and even, disconcertingly, the waitstaff's clothes! Ahem!

Balls in boats with little tags. SO INSTAGRAMMABLE

That was January! My plans for February are to celebrate Chinese New Year, and to catch up on some much-needed sleep!!

Yo yo, January round-up! It didn't feel particularly busy, but here I am at the end of the month with a heap o' pictures to share! That doesn't even include the things I've already blogged (Shimbashi, Spring Street Grocery) or the things that I'll be blogging very shortly (a fab Australia Day concert/lunch at Rochford Winery, my endlessly Instagrammable breakfasts, round 2 of the Lobster Dinner...)

Here we go!

It was hot this month, I got obsessed with frozen yogurt - particularly Yo-Chi in Balaclava, which we visited a bunch of times. They seem to be constantly crazy busy, but the queues move pretty quickly, and the friendly staff seem to direct the crowd and clean up efficiently. I think Cacao Green has slightly higher quality products, but it's fun building your own fro-yo at Yo-Chi and adding all the different toppings. (Although it does get expensive if you go overboard!) Worth a visit!

Yo-Chi, Balaclava

I even had these big plans to do an epic comparison post between Yochi, Cacao Green, Tutti Frutti and Igloo Zoo... but then I OD'd on froyo and am totally over it. For now...

Speaking of obsessions - GLICKS!

Glicks Challah, Challah Bagel, Normal Bagel

On one of my visits to Yochi, I realised that the Carlisle street Glicks is open til late on Thursdays. Yay! Cue me wolfing down loaves and loaves of freshly-baked fluffy soft challah, and enjoying excellent bagels for breakfast. LOVE!

We made a visit to The People's Market, which was a pleasant way to spend a weekend afternoon. I wasn't too interested in the art or shopping stands, but really liked the different food stalls/trucks. (The food stands seem to rotate too, so I want to visit again in a few weeks' time!)

The People's Market

Vegan Chilli Dog - $8
Pink Lemonade - $4
Passionfruit Iced Tea - $4

It sounds like an oxymoron, but we were really impressed by the Vegan chilli dog from South - it was fantastic, and this is coming from me (a committed carnivore) and Sandra (who is German and therefore an authority on sausages). It wasn't just good "for a vegan dog", it was good for a hot dog, full stop. Great stuff! Just quietly, we liked the vegan chilli dog from South better than the real meat meatballs from The Meatball Company, which were a little underwhelming.

We had some blistering hot days this month, which means one thing: beach! I'm loving Chelsea beach right now...

Chelsea Beach

And trekking out to Chelsea always means stopping off in Springvale for cheap and tasty Vietnamese food. Yum! I've been enjoying Pho Hung Vuong and Pho Huong Dakao - but am happy to take recommendations! What's your fave place in Springvale?

Top left: Pho Ga from Pho Hung Vuong
Everything else from Pho Huong Dakao

We enjoyed a fab BBQ at Adrian's place - so much meat and so many Filipino treats! The BBQ lamb adobo with chilli dressing was Amaaaazing!

Meatfeast

I also made some meringues to bring along...

Shiny meringues

...so that we could make bowls of refreshing sweet Eton Mess. Perfect summer dessert, amirite?

Eton Mess

And in total contrast to that meat feast, lunch the next day was at Yong Green Food. I love their Macro Dragon Bowl, all healthy and nourishing with brown rice, chunks of tempeh and a fab lemon tahini sauce.

Macro Dragon Bowl - $18

Before dinner at Shimbashi, I ducked into Ombra Salumi Bar on Bourke street for a sneaky solo Friday-night tipple. I loved the negroni bianco I ordered, and totally want to go back to try their cichetti and salumi!

Negroni Bianco - Gin, Cocchi Americano, Cynar, Doli n Dry - $18

My friend Jeremy had a Mexican-themed birthday party - Jeremy made excellent tequila cocktails, and his girlfriend Val made fantastic tacos, using these incredible white corn tortillas that she ordered online from El Cielo. (They're miles above the standard supermarket tortillas, and certainly better than the hard cracker-like things I made when I attempted making tortillas myself!) Definitely buying the El Cielo ones next time.

El Cielo Tortillas

My contribution to the party was Nigella's flourless chocolate lime cake with margarita cream... very moist and super delicious. (This reminds me that Nigella has a whole range of flourless chocolate cake recipes I should try - she certainly loves riffing on a theme! I can also heartily recommend her chocolate espresso cake with caffe latte cream!)

Nigella's flourless chocolate lime cake with margarita cream

Val also got these super cute lego cakes from Burch & Purchese. They're so cute I can't handle it! They tasted seriously good too - each colour was a different flavour and was made up of a wonderfully light mousse and thin sponge base.

Burch & Purchese lego cake

Another friend brought a ricotta cheesecake - there was So Much Cake! Phew!

For one of our regular mid-week Miranda-viewing nights (yes, we have standing dates with different groups of friends to watch Miranda on different nights of the week and no, I'm not ashamed), I whipped up a batch of Dan Lepard's Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins - wonderful stuff, especially with the crunch of salted peanuts. (The use of peanut butter in the batter is such a great idea too!) I thought they could have used a little extra sugar, but my friends seemed to like them!

Dan Lepard's chocolate and peanut butter muffins

PS I got those cute muffin cups from Daiso in Japan back in 2007. Cuuuute, right?

My friend Anna recently bought her own house - complete with pizza oven in the backyard, jealous! - and she had us over for a great pizza party. We got to assemble our own pizzas and cook them in the amazing oven. (For some reason no-one was taking the fior di latte, so I loaded up my pizza with it. Yummmmm).

Pizza party

Dessert was a make your own sundae bar (much like Yo-Chi, come to think of it), with loads of toppings (berries, Oreos, chocolate peanut butter fudge sauce...) and Anna's own homemade chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. So much deliciousness!

Sundae!

Dumplings at Luyang Dumpling House in Box Hill. They were a little rougher than, say, Mr Huang Jin, but very cheap and tasty. On this visit we only had dumplings, but I saw and smelled some cumin lamb coming out of the kitchen while we were there and it smelled amazing! Must try next time.

Clockwise from left: Pan fried pork dumplings, Xiao Long Bao, Chive Dumplings

Sandra made these incredibly cute Egg Cakelets as a weekend project. Yes, they are literally baked inside an eggshell, and they are too cute to function! (The recipe and steps are on this post at The Cupcake Project if you'd like to try them yourself!)

Egg cakelet

Chinese New Year is coming, and in preparation we've decorated the flat and stocked up on CNY cookies! Kuih kapit (centre) and kuih bangkit (right) are so addictive. I can't stop!

And finally, last night I attended the launch of Pawn & Co, a speakeasy-style bar in the surprising location of Chapel Street Prahran. (Directly above the Fitness First and opposite the KFC, for realsies).

The drinks list is inspired by the Prohibition era and foodwise, they tap into the current trend for sliders and meatballs. Their schtick is that everything in the venue is for sale. That's everything, from the decorations, to the chairs, to the bar, and even, disconcertingly, the waitstaff's clothes! Ahem!

Balls in boats with little tags. SO INSTAGRAMMABLE

That was January! My plans for February are to celebrate Chinese New Year, and to catch up on some much-needed sleep!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Little Miss (cookie) Sunshine

I want you to run out to your store right now and look for Meyer lemons...

...THEN, even if you don't buy them, I want you to pick up a bag and inhale. Ahhh. Yes, people will stare, but you won't notice.  You'll be too busy reveling in the aroma of the ML (Meyer lemon).

They're like sunshine in a bowl.

So naturally, cookies made with them are like sunshine cookies.  And you know what else takes these cookies right over the top?

Brown Butter.  Oh yeah.

If you've never made brown butter, hop on over to How Sweet It Is for a great tutorial.  It's super easy and transforms butter into this deep, nutty thing of beauty.  It's not just for baking...this week we had a pasta with roasted broccoli, peas, and brown butter.  It was scrumptious.  That's not a word I use to describe broccoli very often.

The cookies?  Soft, a little tangy, and oh, that cream cheese frosting...it just begs you to sink your teeth in and take a bite. 

Meyer Lemon-Brown Butter Cookies (with lemon cream cheese frosting)
{makes about 24}

for the cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage 2%)
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
2 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar

for the frosting:
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. box powdered sugar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
2 TBSP Meyer lemon juice

Brown the butter in a small saucepan.  (For detailed instructions on how to do this, click here.)  Pour into a container, and refrigerate until cooled and solidified.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together the yogurt, zest, and juice.  Set aside.
{Meyer lemons are really thin-skinned, so I like to use a micoplane for zesting.}

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

Beat the brown butter and sugar together until well combined.

Stir in the yogurt mixture.  Add the flour in three additions, stirring between each until combined.

The dough will be soft and resemble biscuit dough.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes for the puffiest cookies. (Oh, and the dough is SO yummy...if you're into the raw dough thing like I am.)

Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the cookie sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until done.  Remove from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

make the frosting:
With a paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. 

On low speed, add in half of the powdered sugar and the lemon zest.  Beat until combined.

Add the other half of the sugar and the lemon juice.  Beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium until smooth.

Use an offset spatula to frost the cookies.  Store in the fridge.

{Alternately, make a glaze instead of the frosting.  Combine powdered sugar and Meyer lemon juice to the consistency you'd like and pour over the cookies.)

Good day, Sunshine! ♥

---

I want you to run out to your store right now and look for Meyer lemons...

...THEN, even if you don't buy them, I want you to pick up a bag and inhale. Ahhh. Yes, people will stare, but you won't notice.  You'll be too busy reveling in the aroma of the ML (Meyer lemon).

They're like sunshine in a bowl.

So naturally, cookies made with them are like sunshine cookies.  And you know what else takes these cookies right over the top?

Brown Butter.  Oh yeah.

If you've never made brown butter, hop on over to How Sweet It Is for a great tutorial.  It's super easy and transforms butter into this deep, nutty thing of beauty.  It's not just for baking...this week we had a pasta with roasted broccoli, peas, and brown butter.  It was scrumptious.  That's not a word I use to describe broccoli very often.

The cookies?  Soft, a little tangy, and oh, that cream cheese frosting...it just begs you to sink your teeth in and take a bite. 

Meyer Lemon-Brown Butter Cookies (with lemon cream cheese frosting)
{makes about 24}

for the cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage 2%)
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
2 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar

for the frosting:
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. box powdered sugar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
2 TBSP Meyer lemon juice

Brown the butter in a small saucepan.  (For detailed instructions on how to do this, click here.)  Pour into a container, and refrigerate until cooled and solidified.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together the yogurt, zest, and juice.  Set aside.
{Meyer lemons are really thin-skinned, so I like to use a micoplane for zesting.}

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

Beat the brown butter and sugar together until well combined.

Stir in the yogurt mixture.  Add the flour in three additions, stirring between each until combined.

The dough will be soft and resemble biscuit dough.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes for the puffiest cookies. (Oh, and the dough is SO yummy...if you're into the raw dough thing like I am.)

Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the cookie sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until done.  Remove from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

make the frosting:
With a paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. 

On low speed, add in half of the powdered sugar and the lemon zest.  Beat until combined.

Add the other half of the sugar and the lemon juice.  Beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium until smooth.

Use an offset spatula to frost the cookies.  Store in the fridge.

{Alternately, make a glaze instead of the frosting.  Combine powdered sugar and Meyer lemon juice to the consistency you'd like and pour over the cookies.)

Good day, Sunshine! ♥

---

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Homemade Four Cheese Ravioli with Leeks

     For Christmas this year I didn't have much on my list.  I wanted a few cookbooks, a subscription to Cook's Illustrated, a few novels, and the pasta attachments for my Kitchen-Aid Mixer.  Can you tell what I like to do?  I never would have thought of the pasta attachments but after making pierogies with my dad this summer I had to have them.

      Several weeks before Christmas one of my friends at work told me she got the pasta attachments.  She was excited to get making pasta as well.  I pleaded with my mother one last time to please get them for me for Christmas.  When we got to my parents on Christmas morning I glanced at the boxes and didn't think I saw them.  However, when I picked up my last gift I knew by the weight it was the pasta attachments.

     Fast forward one month and I still haven't tried them.  That same friend who got the pasta attachment posted several pictures of her kids making pasta and said it was so easy that her husband had made pasta several times already.  Well, that was the motivation I needed.

     I picked a three day weekend and decided to start off bold with homemade ravioli.  I have no idea why but once I had it in my head I went with it.  I mixed together ricotta cheese along with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and Mozzarella cheese, mostly because that's what I had in the refrigerator.  I added a few seasonings and some chopped leeks for color and added flavor.

     The first set of ravioli I made were huge.  I didn't realize it until I cut them out but they were stuffed too full and way too big.  I made a few adjustments and the rest turned out perfectly.  I wanted to freeze them to eat later on in the month but we each ended up having 6 ravioli for lunch.  They were delicious.  The pasta was firm and the inside was cheesy and delicious.

Homemade Four Cheese Ravioli with Leeks (pasta recipe from King Arthur Flour, filling is my own)
For the pasta:
3 c. King Arthur's perfect pasta blend flour
4 eggs
1 t. salt
2-4 T. water

For the filling:
15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/2 c.  mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 small leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 t. black pepper

1.  Combine the flour, eggs, and salt together in a food processor.  Process until combined but crumbly.

2.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading after each addition, until a smooth dough forms.  Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile,  combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

4.  Unwrap the pasta dough and divide into 4 pieces.  Working with 1 piece at a time put the dough through the pasta roller on the largest setting.  Continue putting it through until it is on a setting in the middle.

5.  Place the pasta sheets on a table dusted with flour. 

6.  Place a small teaspoon of filling on the pasta sheet every 2-3 inches.  Brush the pasta with water along the top and in between the filling.  Fold the bottom of the dough up over top of the filling and press around the filling to seal.

7.   Using a pastry cutter trim around the ravioli cutting them into squares.

8.  At this point either place the ravioli in a bag to freeze or put in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

9.  When ready to serve bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add 4 or 5 ravioli to the water and boil for 3-5 minutes or until the ravioli float.

10.  Serve with marinara sauce.

     For Christmas this year I didn't have much on my list.  I wanted a few cookbooks, a subscription to Cook's Illustrated, a few novels, and the pasta attachments for my Kitchen-Aid Mixer.  Can you tell what I like to do?  I never would have thought of the pasta attachments but after making pierogies with my dad this summer I had to have them.

      Several weeks before Christmas one of my friends at work told me she got the pasta attachments.  She was excited to get making pasta as well.  I pleaded with my mother one last time to please get them for me for Christmas.  When we got to my parents on Christmas morning I glanced at the boxes and didn't think I saw them.  However, when I picked up my last gift I knew by the weight it was the pasta attachments.

     Fast forward one month and I still haven't tried them.  That same friend who got the pasta attachment posted several pictures of her kids making pasta and said it was so easy that her husband had made pasta several times already.  Well, that was the motivation I needed.

     I picked a three day weekend and decided to start off bold with homemade ravioli.  I have no idea why but once I had it in my head I went with it.  I mixed together ricotta cheese along with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and Mozzarella cheese, mostly because that's what I had in the refrigerator.  I added a few seasonings and some chopped leeks for color and added flavor.

     The first set of ravioli I made were huge.  I didn't realize it until I cut them out but they were stuffed too full and way too big.  I made a few adjustments and the rest turned out perfectly.  I wanted to freeze them to eat later on in the month but we each ended up having 6 ravioli for lunch.  They were delicious.  The pasta was firm and the inside was cheesy and delicious.

Homemade Four Cheese Ravioli with Leeks (pasta recipe from King Arthur Flour, filling is my own)
For the pasta:
3 c. King Arthur's perfect pasta blend flour
4 eggs
1 t. salt
2-4 T. water

For the filling:
15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/2 c.  mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 small leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 t. black pepper

1.  Combine the flour, eggs, and salt together in a food processor.  Process until combined but crumbly.

2.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading after each addition, until a smooth dough forms.  Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile,  combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

4.  Unwrap the pasta dough and divide into 4 pieces.  Working with 1 piece at a time put the dough through the pasta roller on the largest setting.  Continue putting it through until it is on a setting in the middle.

5.  Place the pasta sheets on a table dusted with flour. 

6.  Place a small teaspoon of filling on the pasta sheet every 2-3 inches.  Brush the pasta with water along the top and in between the filling.  Fold the bottom of the dough up over top of the filling and press around the filling to seal.

7.   Using a pastry cutter trim around the ravioli cutting them into squares.

8.  At this point either place the ravioli in a bag to freeze or put in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

9.  When ready to serve bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add 4 or 5 ravioli to the water and boil for 3-5 minutes or until the ravioli float.

10.  Serve with marinara sauce.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

12 Classic Cocktails for your Super Bowl Party

Nothing quite says a Super Bowl party like friends, good food and classic cocktails (and a kickin' game). There is a little something for everyone, no matter what your poison. To tell the truth, we aren't sports fans. I love a good game watched live, but the TV takes the magic out of it for me. EXCEPT for the Super Bowl. It's like Black Friday shopping, but for football.

OK, so only a woman could bring shopping into a football conversation. So, back to the party. Good friends (check!), good food (check!), classic cocktails... Let's take a look.

Continue Reading »

Nothing quite says a Super Bowl party like friends, good food and classic cocktails (and a kickin' game). There is a little something for everyone, no matter what your poison. To tell the truth, we aren't sports fans. I love a good game watched live, but the TV takes the magic out of it for me. EXCEPT for the Super Bowl. It's like Black Friday shopping, but for football.

OK, so only a woman could bring shopping into a football conversation. So, back to the party. Good friends (check!), good food (check!), classic cocktails... Let's take a look.

Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Healthy fudge brownies

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I personally don't. I honestly don't find them very helpful and have never made one (at least none that I remember). I like having personal goals, but I don't classify them as resolutions.

Whether or not you make resolutions, my bet is that most resolution-makers hope to eat healthier in 2013. We should all be aware of what food we put into our bodies and aim to eat more natural foods and avoid processed ingredients. Right?

Catherine at Pursuing Domestic Goddess-ness is this month's What's Baking host and asked us to bake something that was healthy. She challenged us to identify a favorite baked good and health-ify it (is that even a word?).

Since I am a sucker for brownies, I chose them as my focus for this month's challenge. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I follow another blog called Chocolate-Covered Katie. Her original creations are vegan, so they are much healthier than your normal, run-of-the-mill desserts. Her recipe for fudge brownies immediately caught my eye so I knew I had to make these.

Although the flavors in these brownies were spot-on (I could not taste or feel the texture of the tofu or applesauce), they never set up properly. My brownies did not solidify as much I wanted, so they were more like a thick, fudgy brownie batter. The tops and sides did bake up nicely, but the middles were a bit underdone.  I even baked my brownies for 23 minutes and stored them in the refrigerator to firm up. If I make these again, I will add a bit more flour to help firm up these bars. I did find that they resembled "real" brownies the longer I kept them uncovered in the fridge. Regardless, the brownies still tasted chocolately and gooey, and I didn't feel too bad licking up the batter on my knife.

(The photo above was of some brownies that had been sitting, uncovered, for about 5 days in the refrigerator.)

Healthy fudge brownies

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 TBSP soft tofu
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 TBSP vegetable or coconut oil (I used canola oil)
• 2 TBSP milk of choice (I used soy milk)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips (optional - I used dark chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (cocoa powder through salt), and mix  well.

In a blender, combine wet ingredients (sugar through vanilla) and blend until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a 4×6 oiled pan (or double the recipe and use an 8×8). Bake in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes.

Let the brownies cool for at least an hour before digging in.

Yield: 8 brownies

Source: Chocolate-Covered Katie

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I personally don't. I honestly don't find them very helpful and have never made one (at least none that I remember). I like having personal goals, but I don't classify them as resolutions.

Whether or not you make resolutions, my bet is that most resolution-makers hope to eat healthier in 2013. We should all be aware of what food we put into our bodies and aim to eat more natural foods and avoid processed ingredients. Right?

Catherine at Pursuing Domestic Goddess-ness is this month's What's Baking host and asked us to bake something that was healthy. She challenged us to identify a favorite baked good and health-ify it (is that even a word?).

Since I am a sucker for brownies, I chose them as my focus for this month's challenge. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I follow another blog called Chocolate-Covered Katie. Her original creations are vegan, so they are much healthier than your normal, run-of-the-mill desserts. Her recipe for fudge brownies immediately caught my eye so I knew I had to make these.

Although the flavors in these brownies were spot-on (I could not taste or feel the texture of the tofu or applesauce), they never set up properly. My brownies did not solidify as much I wanted, so they were more like a thick, fudgy brownie batter. The tops and sides did bake up nicely, but the middles were a bit underdone.  I even baked my brownies for 23 minutes and stored them in the refrigerator to firm up. If I make these again, I will add a bit more flour to help firm up these bars. I did find that they resembled "real" brownies the longer I kept them uncovered in the fridge. Regardless, the brownies still tasted chocolately and gooey, and I didn't feel too bad licking up the batter on my knife.

(The photo above was of some brownies that had been sitting, uncovered, for about 5 days in the refrigerator.)

Healthy fudge brownies

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 TBSP soft tofu
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 TBSP vegetable or coconut oil (I used canola oil)
• 2 TBSP milk of choice (I used soy milk)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips (optional - I used dark chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (cocoa powder through salt), and mix  well.

In a blender, combine wet ingredients (sugar through vanilla) and blend until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a 4×6 oiled pan (or double the recipe and use an 8×8). Bake in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes.

Let the brownies cool for at least an hour before digging in.

Yield: 8 brownies

Source: Chocolate-Covered Katie

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Wordless (Woofless) Wednesday - Brady, A Canine Sleep Study

 

Hi Momma.  I'z cuddling.  Wanna join in?

 

 

 

You want the pillows?  Too bad!

 

 

 



ZzzzZzzz.... Wherefore art thou cookies?!....ZzzzZzzz



 

Hi Momma.  I'z cuddling.  Wanna join in?

 

 

 

You want the pillows?  Too bad!

 

 

 



ZzzzZzzz.... Wherefore art thou cookies?!....ZzzzZzzz



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Indian Spiced Roast Pork with Yellow Curry Cucumber Raita

Indian Spiced Roast Pork with Curry Cucumber Raita

A nicely roasted, simply seasoned, center loin of pork always makes for a great dinner and depending on the size of the roast you use can easily be a workable weekday meal. This one was exactly that but with a huge flavor boost. We rubbed the outside of the entire roast in a mixture of Indian spices that were worked into a paste. We left the pork loin to marinate in the spice rub overnight and then just popped it into the oven after work. The yogurt for the raita was drained overnight as well so that could be made quickly as the pork loin roasted.

A load or two of laundry later and with some quick couscous as a side dish along with that warmly spiced , creamy cucumber raita and another delicious dinner was on the table. This is another recipe that proves that with as little as 10 minutes the previous evening, the stress of weekday dinners is easily dissipated.

Marinade

4 clove finely minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp yellow curry powder
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
lemon juice (enough to bring the rest of the ingredients together into a paste)

Rub the spice paste all over the outside of the pork roast. Cover and leave to marinate for an hour or tow or overnight. Roast uncovered, on a roasting rack in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast until the internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees F. I like my pork pretty well done but still juicy so I tend to go toward the upper end of the scale. Let the roast rest for 5- 10 minutes before carving and serving.


Yellow Curry Cucumber Raita

3 cups yogurt, drained
 

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

Indian Spiced Roast Pork with Curry Cucumber Raita

A nicely roasted, simply seasoned, center loin of pork always makes for a great dinner and depending on the size of the roast you use can easily be a workable weekday meal. This one was exactly that but with a huge flavor boost. We rubbed the outside of the entire roast in a mixture of Indian spices that were worked into a paste. We left the pork loin to marinate in the spice rub overnight and then just popped it into the oven after work. The yogurt for the raita was drained overnight as well so that could be made quickly as the pork loin roasted.

A load or two of laundry later and with some quick couscous as a side dish along with that warmly spiced , creamy cucumber raita and another delicious dinner was on the table. This is another recipe that proves that with as little as 10 minutes the previous evening, the stress of weekday dinners is easily dissipated.

Marinade

4 clove finely minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp yellow curry powder
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
lemon juice (enough to bring the rest of the ingredients together into a paste)

Rub the spice paste all over the outside of the pork roast. Cover and leave to marinate for an hour or tow or overnight. Roast uncovered, on a roasting rack in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast until the internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees F. I like my pork pretty well done but still juicy so I tend to go toward the upper end of the scale. Let the roast rest for 5- 10 minutes before carving and serving.


Yellow Curry Cucumber Raita

3 cups yogurt, drained
 

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

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Book Spotlight: Zombie Candy by Frederick Lee Brooke

From her gorgeous husband to her acclaimed cooking classes, Candace Roach’s life looks nearly perfect from the outside. Well, appearances can be deceiving. Her husband, Larry, has three unruly addictions that drive her to the brink–zombie movies, cilantro, and having sex with other women. Luckily, her best friend Annie Ogden is back from Iraq and armed with a private investigator’s license and a fierce determination to see Candace happy again.

Together, the women uncover the ridiculous extent of Larry’s infidelity. He needs to be punished,that much is clear. But how can they hit him where it counts? Oh, if only she could find a way to tap into those three little addictions–what a lesson that would be. Italy is calling, as are the zombies in the night, as suburban housewife Candace Roach transforms herself into the ultimate fidelity vigilante, complete with a badass motorcycle, a very small pistol, and the nom de guerre ”Zombie Candy.”

What readers are saying…
Fasten your seat belts for the wild ride provided by this graphic and gritty work full of twists, turns, surprises and gourmet recipes to boot.

I laughed until my sides hurt…. Brooke does a fantastic job of paying homage to the zombie movies we love in this hilarious parody. Annie Ogden fans will not be disappointed.

Zombie Candy is a tasty morsel of revenge, regret, renewal, friendship and love with a zombie invasion that’s as good and fun as a box of Good n Plenty.

Overall ZOMBIE CANDY is an extraordinarily fun ride, but not your cliché roller coaster. No, this ones builds to a crescendo, again walking the reader (and the victim) through the labyrinth of one of the best revenge stories I’ve read in a long while.

Brooke keeps us guessing the whole time, and then leaves you with your mouth hanging open at the end: Did I just read that?!

“The First Wives Club” with zombies and cooking. But without cilantro.

I looked my husband as I was reading the story and said, ‘Some of you men are dogs.’

Everyone should purchase this book, especially if you have a friend who has dealt with a lying, cheating spouse and needs a good laugh and a little vengeful inspiration.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship with a cheater, I think you’ll get a kick out of reading one woman’s story of how she got even.

From the awkward moments of infidelities exposed at dinner parties, botched sexual encounters of an obvious sex addict, to the gruesome “zombie” attacks that will shock and amuse, this book kept me reading well past my bedtime.

This book has all the ingredients of a perfect noir comedy – well formed characters, international locations, a fast moving plot with no brakes, and of course Zombies. Revenge is a dish best served cold – and as a betrayed wife, master chef and cookery instructor, Candace cooks up the perfect recipe for the ultimate gazpacho.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror

Rating – PG13

From her gorgeous husband to her acclaimed cooking classes, Candace Roach’s life looks nearly perfect from the outside. Well, appearances can be deceiving. Her husband, Larry, has three unruly addictions that drive her to the brink–zombie movies, cilantro, and having sex with other women. Luckily, her best friend Annie Ogden is back from Iraq and armed with a private investigator’s license and a fierce determination to see Candace happy again.

Together, the women uncover the ridiculous extent of Larry’s infidelity. He needs to be punished,that much is clear. But how can they hit him where it counts? Oh, if only she could find a way to tap into those three little addictions–what a lesson that would be. Italy is calling, as are the zombies in the night, as suburban housewife Candace Roach transforms herself into the ultimate fidelity vigilante, complete with a badass motorcycle, a very small pistol, and the nom de guerre ”Zombie Candy.”

What readers are saying…
Fasten your seat belts for the wild ride provided by this graphic and gritty work full of twists, turns, surprises and gourmet recipes to boot.

I laughed until my sides hurt…. Brooke does a fantastic job of paying homage to the zombie movies we love in this hilarious parody. Annie Ogden fans will not be disappointed.

Zombie Candy is a tasty morsel of revenge, regret, renewal, friendship and love with a zombie invasion that’s as good and fun as a box of Good n Plenty.

Overall ZOMBIE CANDY is an extraordinarily fun ride, but not your cliché roller coaster. No, this ones builds to a crescendo, again walking the reader (and the victim) through the labyrinth of one of the best revenge stories I’ve read in a long while.

Brooke keeps us guessing the whole time, and then leaves you with your mouth hanging open at the end: Did I just read that?!

“The First Wives Club” with zombies and cooking. But without cilantro.

I looked my husband as I was reading the story and said, ‘Some of you men are dogs.’

Everyone should purchase this book, especially if you have a friend who has dealt with a lying, cheating spouse and needs a good laugh and a little vengeful inspiration.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship with a cheater, I think you’ll get a kick out of reading one woman’s story of how she got even.

From the awkward moments of infidelities exposed at dinner parties, botched sexual encounters of an obvious sex addict, to the gruesome “zombie” attacks that will shock and amuse, this book kept me reading well past my bedtime.

This book has all the ingredients of a perfect noir comedy – well formed characters, international locations, a fast moving plot with no brakes, and of course Zombies. Revenge is a dish best served cold – and as a betrayed wife, master chef and cookery instructor, Candace cooks up the perfect recipe for the ultimate gazpacho.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror

Rating – PG13

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Light Blue Cheese Dip

Blue cheese and buffalo wings are a match made in heaven. So, when I developed the Buffalo Chicken Meatball Poppers, a light blue cheese dip was destined to follow.
Continue Reading »

Blue cheese and buffalo wings are a match made in heaven. So, when I developed the Buffalo Chicken Meatball Poppers, a light blue cheese dip was destined to follow.
Continue Reading »

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