Heather (Ghost Baker) « DinnerCakes

Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms

July 21st, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Edwin says he loves veggies, but I don’t think he cares for mushrooms very much. This is sort of crazy, right? What kind of flexitarian can’t appreciate some quality mushrooms?

It’s true, mushrooms are a fungus. They have no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds, and the thought of eating fungus is more than a little disturbing. But if you can put all that aside, they’re really a pretty neat food that can add great flavor to your meals.

You might have guessed, they’re good for you! They can also be a little dangerous, as they’re sometimes confused with young specimens of the deadly poisonous destroying angel mushroom (destroying angel – what an amazing name!).

They do have some special storage and prep concerns that you may want to consider to preserve their moisture without becoming soggy and keep them fresh for several days (brought to you by whfoods.com:

Store loose button mushrooms in the refrigerator either in a loosely closed paper bag, wrapped in a damp cloth or laid out in a glass dish covered with a moist cloth.

Store prepackaged mushrooms in the refrigerator for up to one week in their original container.

Clean them using minimal water – wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth, as mushrooms are very porous and may absorb water during cleaning and become soggy.

I made these for lunch recently one weekend for my husband Morgan and I, and we really enjoyed them. This is a fairly mild recipe – no strong, spotlight stealing spices or pungent cheeses. If you’d like more kick to yours, try sprinkling a little more cayenne over the top, or using a salty cheese like Pecorino Romano.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms

1 medium prepackaged container of baby bella mushrooms
1/2 square package frozen chopped spinach, cooked
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
12 turns of black pepper, 4 turns of salt
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs
cayenne pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Wipe away any dirt on the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Pop off the stems by hand (they come out much easier than if you try cutting) and dice stems.

Combine cooked spinach, diced mushroom stems, garlic and cheese (leaving out just a little bit of cheese) in a medium bowl. Using a small spoon, stuff mushrooms caps carefully so that they do not break.

Combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 2 or 3 taps of cayenne and a small glug of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Bring together with a fork.

Sprinkle caps with remaining cheese and bread crumb mixture. Cook for 20 minutes; serve immediately.

4 Comments »

Kitchen Tips – Freezing Pancakes

July 17th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Last night my husband was out with some friends, so I had pancakes for dinner – fluffy oatmeal cookie pancakes from Joy the Baker!

Pancakes are a more recent obsession of mine. However pancake recipes often make a lot more than just one or two servings. Sometimes I halve the recipes, but not all recipes work well when you halve them. But really, why halve a delicious pancake recipe and deprive yourself from enjoying them again later?

So don’t! Make a big batch, but whatever pancakes you don’t eat, set out on a cooling rack in one layer so that they cool completely and dry out a bit. When the pancakes feel dry, place them in ziploc bags or a one gallon size ziploc bag (separated by wax paper so that it’s easy to pull them apart) and freeze. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, warm them up in a toaster (my preference) or, if you prefer, briefly in the microwave (you don’t want them to get rubbery).

Any time is a good time for pancakes!

Comments Off on Kitchen Tips – Freezing Pancakes

Food Photography – Coconut-Lime Sugar Cookies from The Fumbling

July 15th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

So this is pretty exciting – today’s Food Photography is all thanks to a lovely DinnerCakes reader, Grace Thoreau, who actually sent me cookies! All these years of wishing that people would send me baked goods, and it finally paid off!

These little beauties are coconut-lime sugar cookies.

Sugar cookies are not usually among my favorites for two reasons – they always seem to be too hard and too dry. So my jaw dropped (luckily no cookie fell out) when I bit into these soft, moist and totally flavorful coconut cookies with cute flecks of lime. Grace tells me it’s the unsweetened flaked coconut run through a food processor that keeps them so soft, and the fat in them (don’t tell my bathroom scale) keeps them moist.

Itching for the recipe? Well, you’ll have to consult Grace. Grace is a fellow blogger, and though she’s not a food blogger she’s definitely a foodie! Hop over to her blog, Fumbling with Grace, for some fun and quirky quick wit and humor about getting through life as a young working woman (maybe she’ll bake you cookies, too?).

3 Comments »

Pineapple Mango Chicken Curry

July 13th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

If I seemed a little scatter-brained lately, there’s a good chance that I am. You see, there are some big changes going on in the Ghost Baker household…

For starters, we’re moving! After three years in the DC metro area (four for Morgan), we’re picking up and moving back to Charlottesville, the town of our alma mater.

This fall I’ll be starting a second-degree nursing program leading to a master’s of science in nursing, moving from the research side of healthcare over to the clinical side. I’m pretty excited about it!

Though Chef Edwin and I will no longer be just a stone’s throw away and there might be a week period where my pots and pans are living in boxes instead of having culinary adventures, Charlottesville offers a lot of really cool things. In 2004, Charlottesville was ranked the best place to live in the United States in the book Cities Ranked and Rated by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, based on cost of living, climate, and quality of life.

I see many visits to the farmer’s market in my future. If you’re from the area, please let me know other great things to do, see and eat!

In any event, the kitchen isn’t packed up just yet. So today I’ll share with you a very tasty pineapple mango chicken curry recipe. I adapted the original recipe for a mango curry chicken from Simply Recipes. I had to figure out a way to keep the mango flavor toned down because I’m not a huge fan of that particular fruit.

This dish came out on the sweet side because of the pineapple and little bit of sugar (almost like a sweet and sour chicken, but really not quite). If you’d like to tone down the sweetness, add some vinegar. Neither the pineapple nor the mango are overpowering, though. I added most of the pineapple and almost all of the mango to the food processor instead of leaving more as fruit chunks at the end (since, as I said, I’m not a huge mango fan). You can of course vary this according to your personal tastes.

Pineapple Mango Chicken Curry
adapted from Simply Recipes

Vegetable oil for pan
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 Tablespoon yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 can chopped pineapple, drained (15 oz.)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 1/4 cup water
1 – 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup light cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes, then add red bell pepper. Add the curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. If spices begin to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil. Add the ginger and garlic, cooking for an additional minute or two.

Add vinegar, water, 1/2 to 3/4 of the chopped mango and 1/2 to 3/4 the pineapple to the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and carefully add to food processor. Pulse until smooth, then return to pan.

Add chicken and return to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Add remaining mango and pineapple to the pan. Carefully add cream and sugar and cook on low for an additional minute, uncovered. Do not boil!

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over rice. Makes about 3 servings.

Comments Off on Pineapple Mango Chicken Curry

Day #5 of Smoothie Week – Piña Colada Time!

July 10th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Piña Coladas are one of my favorite mixed drinks, but not when they’re loaded with weird artificial syrups and sweeteners. Piña coladas typically include pineapple juice, coconut cream and rum – but this smoothie version isn’t exactly like a pina colada (no rum, for one thing… though I don’t see why you couldn’t spike it?).

This smoothie also unfortunately does not have a really cool story of origin like the piña colada. According to Wikipedia,

“The earliest known history states that in the 1800s, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí (a.k.a. “El Pirata Cofresí”), to boost his crew’s morale he gave them a beverage or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple and white rum. This was what would be later known as the famous piña colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe for the piña colada was lost.”

Pirates!

In addition to sharing recipes this week, don’t forget there are a lot of ways you can dress up your glass. Blueberries or raspberries make a great garnish, as does some flaked coconut, mini umbrellas or plastic cocktail monkeys (you can see I got a little carried away…).

Hope you enjoy this sweet, tropical smoothie, and go easy on the rum if you decide to add some!

Piña Colada Smoothie
makes 2 small size servings, with a little extra

1 1/2 cups milk (you could use coconut milk if you want more coconut flavor)
1 cup frozen chopped pineapple
1 medium frozen banana
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)
1/2 tablespoon honey

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached – the pineapple and coconut may take a little longer than usual to blend completely.

1 Comment »

Day #3 of Smoothie Week – Berry Breakfast Blend

July 8th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

You know those people who wake up just as the sun is rising and a crisp new day begins, jog a few laps around the neighborhood and pick the newspaper up on their way back in the house, throw together an energizing breakfast smoothie and then drive to work for the day?

That’s not me! In fact, my friends and family will tell you that I’m grizzlier than a bear when awoken…

But I will accept the energizing breakfast smoothie – thanks!

Today’s smoothie is lightly sweetened, but rich in fruit, fiber and dairy. It’s a little more complex than my Blue Afternoon smoothie, but it’s still very easy to put together and enjoy. It combines my preferred frozen fruit with a bit of fresh fruit (blueberries) so that I’m still able to buy and use all those great blueberries on sale right now.

Unlike Edwin I don’t use juice, so if you’re on the fence about which method you prefer try experimenting with both. My base here is yogurt and skim milk. The yogurt gives the smoothie a little extra kick, but don’t worry about it tasting too “yogurty,” to put it elegantly.

To answer a question I’ve received – I typically wrap my peeled bananas in foil to freeze them, but I’d also stored peeled bananas in a gallon ziploc freezer bag. You want to make sure that your bananas don’t freeze together, get freezer burn, or turn dark brown too quickly.

Hope you’re enjoying Smoothie Week so far! Please let us know how your experiments are going – or if you have your own concoction that we should check out!

Berry Breakfast Blend
makes about 3 servings

1 heaping cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 medium frozen bananas
1 cup frozen strawberry puree
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon wheat germ/bran
1 tablespoon simple syrup (it incorporates better than sugar)

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached.

2 Comments »

Introducing Smoothie Week! How to Make Your Own Smoothies

July 6th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Hey there, DinnerCakes readers! It’s been about two months since our last theme week (Rainbow Week), and Chef Edwin and I thought it was time for another!

I know people always say things like “I can’t believe it’s July already,” but seriously, I can’t believe we’re in the middle of summer! Because I was raised around the ocean, I think that for me summer isn’t really official until I’ve been to the beach… which I still haven’t yet. However, I think an ice cold fruit smoothie could certainly help me get in the mood a little more!

Like most things having to do with cooking, everyone has their own taste preferences. We’ll give you the basics of smoothie making in today’s post, and then follow up with some tried and true variations and new ideas throughout the week.

Liquid
Something that’s very basic but actually quite easy to forget when making a smoothie is that it needs sufficient liquid – or else you’ve just got frozen fruit puree that you’ll need to eat with a spoon. If you’re a connoisseur of smoothie establishments, consider the one you like best and why. My husband and I are Smoothie King die hards, which we feel has the most delicious and thick smoothies, while we have friends who swear by Tropical Smoothie, which seem a lot less thick and more juice-based to us. Experiment and decide whether you favor smoothies with a milk, soy milk, juice, yogurt, or even flavored water base.

Fruit
There are a variety of fruit combinations to try, so the most important question to ask yourself is whether you’d like to use fresh or frozen fruit. In my experience, frozen fruit is the best option for a perfect smoothie:

– Without frozen fruit you’ll need to use ice to get the cold and thick consistency you’re looking for. Ice seems a little like filler to me when you could just use frozen fruit to get the same effect.

– Frozen fruit is typically packaged when the fruit is at its prime. There’s no guesswork trying to decide whether the fruit at the grocery store is ripe or not.

– You don’t need to worry about checking for mold, making sure it’s firm or soft enough or making sure it hasn’t gone bad. When it’s frozen, you just store it in the freezer to enjoy whenever you like.

– Frozen fruit doesn’t need to be washed. For those of us who never have enough time in the day, this can easily save five minutes.

– If you have a Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s or other wholesaler membership, you can buy frozen fruit in bulk. If you can spare the freezer space, bulk is always less expensive.

– Frozen fruit usually contains less moisture, so it lends itself better to a puree than fresh fruit which may make your smoothie too runny.

As for what kinds of fruit to use, there are a variety of great combinations. However a staple for me is one frozen banana. Bananas lend themselves well to the thick consistency that I like best.

Thickeners
If you’re using frozen fruit, that may be all the extra thickener you need. If you’re using fresh fruit (since it is summertime and all), throw in a handful of ice cubes. Yogurt and frozen fruit concentrate can also serve as great thickeners.

Sweetener (Optional)
As I mentioned above, my husband and I love Smoothie King. Maybe this is because, like most smoothie establishments, they load up their beverages with sugar and sweeteners to make them irresistible! You can recreate this in your own kitchen by adding a few tablespoons of sugar or, even better, simple syrup. For me, I typically try not to include extra sweetener and just let the fruit do the work… but sometimes I can’t resist.

Supplements (Optional)
Because smoothies can be considered a health food (when done right), maybe people take the opportunity to add supplements and/or powders. This can be anything from protein or weight gain powder, to flavor blends, vitamin supplements and fiber.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the most important smoothie components, let’s start off the week with a very basic smoothie – we’ll get more adventurous as the week goes on! This smoothie is not particularly sweet, as I’m only using a banana and blueberries. If you’re looking for a basic cold and refreshing smoothie with mild flavor, this one is perfect!

Blue Afternoon
makes one serving

1/2 cup cold skim milk (substitute soy milk if you like a little more kick)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 medium frozen banana

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached. Add a few ice cubes if a thicker consistency is preferred.

Comments Off on Introducing Smoothie Week! How to Make Your Own Smoothies

Happy Fourth of July!

July 4th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Hope you have a very happy and safe fourth of July full of cook-outs, cold ones and fireworks!

Here are some photos of the last really great fireworks display I saw – two years ago at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (Morgan and I were on our “Engagement Moon,” i.e. newly engaged).

Enjoy your day, DC readers! Tune in next week for the start of our next fun theme week since Rainbow Week! And here’s a 17 second clip of the big finale:

From 2007_07_04

1 Comment »

Our 200th Post! Plus Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

July 2nd, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Today is an exciting day at DinnerCakes because we get to celebrate! Not only is it our last work day before the start of a long holiday weekend, it’s also our 200th post! (Insert blaring trumpets here!)

A lot has changed around here since Edwin and I first started documenting our culinary adventures, making messes in the kitchen and packing away more food than we probably should.

If you’re new to DinnerCakes, we invite you to take a look around and enjoy a sample of our favorite recipes and most memorable recent posts:

Chef Edwin’s Favorites

Grandma Bachetti’s Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Black Bean Spring Salad

Rainbow Cookies, Day 3 of Rainbow Week

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers w/ Couscous

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes w/ Tempeh

Heather – Ghost Baker’s Favorites

Tandoori Inspired Chicken and Red Potatoes

Sweetened & Smooth Iced Coffee

Secret Ingredient Cupcakes

Taco Salad w/ Drunken Black Beans

Delicious Recreation of a Favorite T-Shirt

But we also can’t forget, fourth of July weekend is upon us! Every year my husband wants to throw a party… not a fourth of July party, but specifically “America’s Birthday Party,” with party hats and all. Unfortunately he hasn’t yet moved from the idea stage into the logistics stage.

I’m all for celebrating America’s birth, but I’m not so much into cakes decorated like flags and such – that’s why a red, white and blue trifle works perfectly for me!

This time of year is all about berries that burst with color, and I think they look amazing in a trifle bowl. I made a Double-Vanilla Pound Cake from Sur La Table’s “The Art and Soul of Baking.” You can even see the little vanilla bean flecks if you look closely. It’s an amazing book that offers a deep dive to those looking to get serious about baking. You can find the pound cake recipe reprinted here – the only thing I changed was that I used non-fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream and I used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour (removing two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and replacing it with two tablespoons of corn starch, to imitate cake flour).

The pound cake turned out perfectly and full of delicious vanilla flavor. I also added vanilla pudding, fat free Cool Whip, and loads of blueberries and strawberries to my trifle. I tried hard to restrain myself from adding any extra sugar or sweeteners like coconut, jam or a spritz of juice. While these things can definitely make your trifle either more sweet or tart, the fresh berries, vanilla pound cake, Cool Whip and pudding give it enough flavor that it doesn’t need any extra.

What are you making for fourth of July festivities?

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

Double-Vanilla Pound Cake (or pound cake of your choice, cubed)
1 pound strawberries, washed and sliced
1 pint blueberries, washed
1 3 oz. package of vanilla pudding
2 cups milk (for the pudding)
1 regular size container fat free Cool Whip

Combine 2 cups of milk with vanilla pudding mix on medium heat and bring to a boil, stir constantly. When done, set aside to cool.

Cube pound cake and add a layer to the bottom of the trifle bowl. Surround with a layer of strawberries and blueberries. Drizzle some pudding over the pound cake, followed by three dollops of Cool Whip. Repeat the layering process until complete. Scoop a large dollop of Cool Whip on top to complete. Serve chilled.

2 Comments »

Tandoori Inspired Chicken and Red Potatoes

June 30th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

On Saturday night I started not feeling very well, so Morgan and I spent most of Sunday just relaxing and watching episodes of our latest tv addiction – Mad Men.

If you haven’t seen Mad Men, it’s an AMC drama that begins in 1960 at an ad agency in New York City. If you can let yourself get past the exorbitant sexism of the 1960s which the show captures a little too well, it really is enjoyable to watch; however, I think I’m experiencing some unintended side effects from watching it.

I gave myself a french manicure as we watched on Sunday. I also painted my toe nails, straightened my hair and wore a skirt to work on a Monday. These things might be the normal routine for a lot of women, but for me, and all at the same time, made me wonder! My style is better described as “no muss no fuss,” or more colloquially known as “lame.”

I also made a matching Indian style rice pudding to go with the Tandoori Chicken I planned. And I thought ahead enough to make a side dish. Usually all my efforts go into the main course and I skimp a little on the sides. Don’t worry, I’m sure all this primping and organization will quickly pass, but I may have done a bit of a 1960s skip when my husband started raving about how this dinner turned out.

As you might imagine I’m always trying new things in the kitchen, so when Morgan really gets excited about something it’s very encouraging! This is probably the closest to an authentic Indian style meal that I’ve gotten. It’s also, somehow, fairly easy to make. No painstaking prep work or hours of simmering spices – a great marinade does most of the work.

I adapted this from a David Lebovitz recipe to make it a little more accessible for every day cooking. I removed some of the more exotic ingredients, like saffron powder or saffron threads, used non-fat yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt, added in some yellow curry powder and replaced the chicken thighs and legs with simpler boneless chicken breasts. I also quartered some small red potatoes, coated them in a yogurt and curry dressing to compliment the chicken and roasted them until done.

The yogurt gives the chicken a lot of tang. It’s spicy, but not particularly hot. We really enjoyed this and hope you do, too!

Tandoori Inspired Chicken and Potatoes
adapted from David Lebovitz

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (use less for less heat)
8 turns fresh ground black pepper
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon sweetened lime juice
1 tablespoon finely-minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely-minced garlic

Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise. Add all the remaining ingredients to a gallon ziploc bag, squeeze out the excess air and seal. Massage the bag to mix the marinade and coat chicken. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a large baking sheet with foil and place chicken with the thick marinade on sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

For potatoes:
6 small red potatoes, washed and quartered
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

Add all ingredients to a large ziploc bag and massage to coat. Pour contents of bag onto baking sheet, setting some of the liquid aside. Roast potatoes for approximately 40 minutes, pouring the remaining liquid over the potatoes and turning at the halfway mark, or until a fork inserted into potato goes in easily.
*Note – potatoes do take a long time to cook, so you will want to begin this before the chicken. When potatoes are done, set in a bowl and cover with foil – they will keep hot.

If you’d like to make rice pudding for dessert, you may like to use your leftover rice from dinner with this recipe from Elise. I used this minus the raisins.

4 Comments »