DinnerCakes

Curry Couscous with Chickpeas

February 20th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

So I recently came to the conclusion that I’m not getting enough whole grains in my diet. This, to be quite honest, is an understatement. I don’t normally partake in the breads and pastas of the world. Not because I don’t like them (LOVE bread), but simply because I like to snack, and snacking on fruit just strikes me as a healthier course of action.

Enter couscous. You may remember that Heather recently wrote about spicy shrimp and couscous, talking briefly about healthy eating. Couscous definitely fits the bill. This stuff will fill you up without weighing you (or your scale) down. When you cook this stuff it balloons in size. A quarter cup uncooked yields three quarters of a cup cooked! And less than 200 calories! I think I found a new best friend.

This recipe comes from a cook book I’ve recently begun playing with: A Taste of Heaven and Earth. So far I’ve enjoyed cooking from it. It strives for simple dishes with sophisticated flavor and its ingredients are relatively common; obtainable at your average grocery store. Can’t find fault in that.

As usual, I’ve upped the vegetable count significantly. Having tried this, I strongly recommend adding cauliflower; which I’ll be sure to do next time. And of course the usual spice disclaimer applies. I used four tablespoons of hot curry and it was a bit much.

Curry Cousous with Chick-Peas
adapted from A Taste of Heaven and Earth

1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 cup stock (or water if you must)
2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion; chopped
1 carrot; peeled and diced
1 celery stalk; diced
1 green bell pepper; diced
1 red bell pepper; diced
3 garlic cloves; minced
3-4 teaspoons curry powder; depending on your heat sensitivity and type of curry
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups peas; fresh or thawed and drained
ground pepper to taste
tamari to taste (soy sauce in a pinch)

Bring the stock to a boil in a small sauce pan, add the couscous, cover with a tight fitting lid, remove from the heat and let sit for five minutes.

With the oil, saute the onion, carrot and celery in a large pan (or wok) under medium-high heat until the onion is translucent; approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the bell peppers, garlic, chickpeas and curry, sauteing for an additional 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly so the curry mixes and to prevent the garlic from burning.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the chickpeas, peas and couscous and stir together for a two to three minutes. Remove from heat and serve with tamari and ground pepper. Enjoy.

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Creamy and Sweet Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding

February 19th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

A few weeks ago Joy the Baker posted a great looking rice pudding recipe that planted a seed in my head. I love rice pudding, particularly Kozy Shack brand, and I couldn’t believe that I’d never tried to make it before on my own.

But the pudding can scorch so easily. It’s a delicate balance of stirring continuously while keeping the heat low. It was relaxing and fun, though. And in testing different ingredients and styles I was able to use my favorite ingredient.

You know what I’m talking about…

Pumpkin!

It’s like creamy pumpkin pie, or a pumpkin spice frappuccino – just a hint of pumpkin and a lot of sweet cinnamon and cold milk.

Next time I make this I might add more pumpkin (you know me) and milk to make it even creamier, but right now I’m just enjoying each bite of this sweet little treat (well, what’s left of it)!

Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding

1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Libby’s canned pure pumpkin
dash of cloves
dash of nutmeg

Cook rice in rice cooker or according to package instructions. Once rice is cooked, set aside. Add milk, sugar and salt to a medium pot. Bring to a low boil, stirring continuously so you don’t scorch the milk. Add the cooked rice and pumpkin and keep stirring! Add cinnamon and dash of cloves nutmeg. Keep stirring until the milk cooks down and the rice plumps, about 10 minutes. Make sure the heat stays low and that you don’t stop stirring.

Remove the pot from the stove and pour pudding into Corningware or medium-sized bowl. Make sure you put an oven mitt or trivet underneath the bowl and set it in the fridge. Chill in refrigerator and serve cold.

Note – During one of my prior attempts I used skim milk instead of whole and it the texture wasn’t quite the same. I’d refrain from switching to skim on this one.

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Food Photography – Fudge Brownie Cupcakes

February 18th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Today’s photo is from a birthday Heather and I attended a few weeks back. As you may recall, Heather wrote about her Guinness Beer Brownies (and babes). Our friend had made the request for “fudge muffins,” and I had no clue what these are. However, I did receive a Cupcakes Galore from some friend for my birthday last year. I took its recipe for brownie muffins, made a few modifications, and voila! Deliciousness.

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Let's Decorate – Heart-Shaped Blackberry Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Blackberry Filling and Fondant Flowers

February 17th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

I know I said that I wouldn’t be baking anything on Saturday for Valentine’s Day, but… I lied? I saw one too many Tastespotting photos of heart-shaped desserts and I just couldn’t take it anymore!

Usually when I make cakes, I don’t worry too much about decoration. Spending a long time on decorating a cake seems onerous to me. I’d rather focus on the ingredients and the taste; I’m satisfied with simple decoration, like a few fresh flower blooms on a smooth frosted cake.

But on Friday night/Saturday morning I decided to bake a heart-shaped cake, focusing on decoration. I planned to make two 8×8 square cakes and cut them to the shape of a heart – I didn’t want my husband’s head to explode by buying a heart-shaped cake pan (I have, um, a few specialty pans).

To make the cake batter, I adapted a recipe for Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes from Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn (a good book if you’re looking to move past box cake mixes but still not quite ready to bake completely from scratch). I combined one package of plain yellow cake mix, vanilla instant pudding mix, whole milk, vegetable oil, eggs and almond extract. I lined the pans with parchment paper and poured the batter into the cake pans, swirling 3/4 of a jar of blackberry preserves into the batter.

I cooled the cakes for 15 minutes in their pans, lifted them out by holding on to the parchment paper and then chilled them in the refrigerator overnight (to make sure they were firm enough to work with easily).

The next morning I gently stacked the cakes on top of each other and cut a small square off of one corner to make the dip of the heart and trimmed the points off. Then I cut the corners off of either side, to make the sides of the heart less pointy. I then carefully removed the top cake and set it aside.

I made a simple chocolate buttercream frosting, also from the Cake Mix Doctor book. With a thin layer of chocolate buttercream, I frosted the top of the bottom cake, leaving a little extra frosting around the edges (the outline of the heart) to make a sort of pool. I mashed 1 cup of fresh blackberries with a few spoonfuls of confectioners’ sugar (or you could use more blackberry preserves) and spread it on top of the chocolate buttercream frosting.

I lightly frosted the bottom of the top cake with buttercream frosting so that the top cake wouldn’t get soggy from sitting on top of the blackberry preserves. I then set the top layer on top of the bottom cake.

I finally frosted the entire cake with the chocolate buttercream frosting, setting the cake in the freezer when I finished. After 15 minutes, I removed the cake from the freezer and refrosted any areas that needed to be smoothed or where crumbs had gotten into the frosting (this wasn’t much of a problem since I had refrigerated the cakes overnight before frosting).

I bought some Wilton fondant, tore off a few pieces of it and separated it into separate bowls. I let one drop of food coloring on each and massaged it in to create the colored fondant. I worked it into a thin layer and then gently rolled it to make the fondant flowers.

My husband and I really enjoyed this cake, and of course, I was really proud that I had the patience to work on my cake decorating skills! So keep this post in the back of your mind if you have an anniversary coming up or even a kid’s birthday. It’s actually not terribly time consuming, and it’s a lot of fun!

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Pasta with Vegetables and Garlic Red Bell Pepper Sauce

February 16th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

I hope everyone had a good Valentines Day weekend and that you’re rip-roaring ready to go for another week (blah, I just made myself sad). It doesn’t matter what takes place over the weekend, I always find myself with a few too many items on the ol’ to-do list when Sunday rolls around. Because of this I often find myself doing something quick and dirty for dinner. Of course, that’s no excuse to fall back on Hamburger Helper.

I was feeling a bit uninspired Sunday. I really just wanted something simple, quick and filling so I pulled out a cook book I picked up at a book fair but still hadn’t cooked from. (yes, it’s sad. i often under utilize my reading material.) I hadn’t made pasta in a while so I picked a recipe and made a it of modifications. This dish is very simple in preparation and in flavor.

Pasta with Vegetables and Garlic Red Bell Pepper Sauce
2 carrots; chopped
1 large head of broccoli (2-3 cups); cut into third and quarter florets, depending on size
3 tablespoons oil
1 red bell pepper; diced
1/2 yellow onion; diced
6 garlic cloves; minced
10 ounces spaghetti
Soy sauce to taste
Black pepper to taste

Steam the carrots for 8 minutes, add the broccoli and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Dunk the vegetables in cold water so they stop cooking. Boil you noodles per instructions, strain and set aside.

Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic with the oil for 2 minutes then add your cooked pasta and vegetables. Cook, tossing occasionally until everything is heated through. Serve with soy sauce and black pepper to taste.

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Kitchen Tips: What are Complete Proteins?

February 14th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

As someone who eats a largely vegetarian diet, there are a few nutritional concerns it’s important to be aware of. One of these is the topic of complete proteins. I’ve never really liked the term because it’s not used to describe an actual protein (or collection of proteins). A complete protein is a source of protein that contains an adequate amount of the essential amino acids for our dietary needs. Essential amino acids are ones our body can’t create on its own, and there are generally eight or nine of them, depending on who you ask. You need these things for your health so it’s important to eat a diet that supplies them for you.

For omnivores out there, this really isn’t a problem. Just about all animal proteins are considered complete proteins (meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, eggs). If you’re a vegetarian, however, then you may not be be getting all you need from your daily milk, cheese and egg intake (I know I’m not). Most beans, grains and nuts are not complete proteins. Fortunately, you take just about any from one category and combine it with another and you’ve got a complete protein. Bean soup with rice, chili with corn bread…. voila! Whole protein.

So, if you’re a meat eater, rest easy knowing you’re probably doing ok. If you’re more of a vegetarian like me, then just think about how you’re eating from these three categories.

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Fudgey and Warm Flourless Mini Cakes for Your Valentine (don’t drool on your date!)

February 13th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Happy Valentine’s Day… almost!

My husband, Morgan, and I have never been big on Valentine’s Day. I generally don’t care for holidays with a lot of expectation involved because they make me nervous! Morgan and I have a great time just going to a low-key restaurant/brewery or sitting in pajamas and watching a movie. But you want me to go somewhere fancy… and dress up… and have it be the most romantic day of the year? Well, I’ll take a rain check!

But wait, that doesn’t mean I don’t want a box of chocolate! And you can keep all the gourmet chocolates and truffles; I just want some good old Russell Stover.

And maybe it’s because I don’t like all the expectation associated with V-Day, but as of right now I don’t intend to bake anything on Saturday (it’s Russell Stover or bust!). But if you’d like to tempt your honey, I highly recommend this melt-in-your mouth, warm and chocolatey little cake.

I found this recipe in an old Kraft foods magazine. It was described as easy to prepare and, “under 200 calories, wonderful chocolate taste without being overly sweet.” Though I’ve heard people use the phrase “overly sweet,” I can’t say I understand the concept. My mantra is closer to, “bring on the sweets!” so I made a few small changes by adding about 1 cup of peanut butter chips along with 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. It’s likely that these are no longer under 200 calories as advertised… whoops!

This recipe is also listed on the Kraft website, and I noticed in the comments that a lot of people complained that the cake completely fell in the middle just a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. I had this problem as well, probably because these cakes are flourless so the structure just isn’t the same, but a simple dollop of Cool-Whip disguises that instantly. And because you’re serving it warm out of the oven, they’re really not sitting around long enough for anyone to notice.

These little cakes are very easy to whip up, so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of time in the kitchen instead of with your significant other. And because they’re individual serving sizes you get instant portion control! These sweet little cakes are truly heavenly.

Flourless Triple Chocolate Fudge Cups with Peanut Butter Chips
adapted from Kraft

3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (I used Baker’s brand)
1 tablespoon oil (I used Smart Balance)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
4 egg whites
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate and oil for 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted. Stir in cocoa powder and set aside.

Beat egg whites and sugar on high for approximately 3 minutes. Reduce speed and blend in melted chocolate. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Spoon batter into 6 paper muffin cups (I decided not to use paper cups when I made them, but I think it would be easier if you did… as I’ll describe in a minute).

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until center is puffed and set. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. The tops will fall in as they cool. Gently slide out of the muffin pan when cool. Because the tops have fallen, it will be a little difficult to get them out without breaking the top more. Do the best you can, and plop Cool Whip on the rest to serve!

Makes 8 little cakes.

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Whole Wheat Apple Muffins with a Punch

February 12th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

As Heather mentioned earlier, a group of us attended Greater DC Care’s MLK Day Of Service a few weeks ago. We all had fun and a few of our party even got lost on the way to the project and saw celebrities (Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and Tobey Maguire).

Whenever I organize something like a service project, I try to bring food to give it an extra special touch. It’s just a way of saying thanks and “sweetening” the deal so that they’ll be more inclined to participate in the future. For this event I brought Smitten Kitchen’s whole wheat apple muffins and King Arthur Flour’s Chocolate Muffins. Both were great, but I felt the apple was taking a back seat in the former. And thus, today’s recipe was born.

These muffins definitely get you that apple-y goodness. They’re very moist, so if that turns you off consider reducing the amount of apple sauce. Nicole from Baking Bites suggested adding 1/4, but I did not reduce to that this time.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins with a Punch
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar; packed (plus more to sprinkle)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt
3 apples; peeled, cored, and chopped

Preheat the oven to 450. Line or grease an 18 cup muffin tin and set aside.

Reduce your apple sauce in a small pan under low/medium-low heat for approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Mix together the fours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix well, followed by gently mixing the buttermilk in (according to Smitten, the buttermilk will curdle if you over mix) along with the applesauce and yogurt. Stir in the flour mixture and fold in your chopped apples.

Divide in your muffin tin cups and sprinkle brown sugar on top, as much as you like (more = better. 1/4 cup total, perhaps?). Bake for 15 minutes and test with a toothpick. Let cool and enjoy.

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Food Photography – Sweet and Moist Chocolate Pound Cake

February 11th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

(Pictured: Chocolate Pound Cake from Warren Brown’s CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch. I absolutely love this book! It’s probably not best for beginners, and some of the ingredients he uses are a little out there, but so far both cakes I’ve made (his “LCD Pound Cake” and this “Chocolate Pound Cake”) have been PHENOMENAL. I can’t wait for my next “excuse” to make more!)

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Corn and Cauliflower Chowder – Quick and Healthy

February 10th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Good lord, so much food was consumed on Saturday. I still feel a little full. Ethiopian kids are probably hungrier because of us. I am proud to state that while I lost to Heather in the sit-up contest I was victorious in “who can last the longest before turning down food” contest. Huzzah!

I won’t bore you with the details. Heather covered it pretty well yesterday and really, you’re here for the food, right? The day after I really didn’t feel like eating much; there just wasn’t room. I was also fairly tired after driving back home and taking care of errands. Honestly, at that point food almost seemed like a hassle.

I needed to eat something and I needed soup for lunch during the week, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and try to get to bed early (note: this did not happen). I was browsing through my long list of “want to try” recipes and came across one for potato and corn chowder from a class I assisted at L’Academie de Cuisine. I wanted to make it easier and healthier so I replaced the roux and potatoes with my new best friend the cauliflower. I was very happy with the result. The cauliflower does a decent job of giving you a similar chowder-like texture and I had to use very little milk. Next time I may throw a chopped potato in there for good measure. You know how much I love my veggies.

Corn and Cauliflower Chowder

2 tablespoons oil
1 yellow onion; chopped
1 red bell pepper; chopped
1 celery stalk; chopped
1 carrot; chopped
1 clove garlic; minced
3 cups stock or water
1/4 cup milk
1 head cauliflower; cut into half-florets
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
1 can corn; rinsed and drained

Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery and carrot with the oil in a large pot under medium heat until soft and onions are translucent; approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic for another minute. Add the stock/water, milk, cauliflower and spices and simmer until the cauliflower is soft; approximately 20 minutes.

Add corn, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes so the corn heats up. Then blend with an immersion blender to the desired consistency. Enjoy.

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