Beer and Smoked Gouda Bread

As you may know, I've always loved making bread since I find it so relaxing and exhilarating. So far, all the breads that I have made are done so by hand (KitchenAid cheat here and there lol) and baked through an actual oven. However, I do own a bread machine and have put off using it for around 5 years now...I don't know why but I think it has something to do with the indention of the built-in kneading blade...
Anywhos, this time around, I decided to bake a few loaves in the machine and see how it goes. My tasty combo; beer and smoked Gouda cheese. One thing you should know is that I am absolutely NOT a beer fan. I dislike the taste and idea of it being a party must-have. Unfortunately, with all the men in my family, beer shows up here and there but seldom do I have much left over...
At a recent party, around 14 cans of cheap beer were left over and finding it a waste of an ingredient to pour down the drain, I decided to use it as the liquid ingredient in bread.
After placing all the ingredients conveniently into the bread pan and waiting 3 hours, a beautiful, golden and aromatic loaf emerged. The crust was so glorious and the crumb was deliciously fluffy, changing my perspective on bred machines.
I will definitely be using the machine again for future breads.

1 can of light beer
1 2/3 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast

In order, starting at bottom of bread pan, add beer, cheese, salt, flour, and sugar. Make an indentation in the flour and add yeast. Make sure the yeast does not touch the liquid. Close the bread machine and press the Basic setting or Plain White Setting. Wait for the cycle to complete and there you have it-a loaf of freshly made bread.

 

Watermelon Salad

I realize I have not been posting anything for the month of March (oopsies!) so, for the last day of this boring month, I present to you a deliciously bold and healthy salad. It combines sweet and salty flavors of fruit, cheese and nuts;  juicy watermelon with candied walnuts, and feta cheese in a salad that is finished off with a sweet n' tangy balsamic vinegar reduction. To die for; seriously. I highly recommend this for any Spring/Summer brunch!

Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup walnuts
sea salt

Toast walnuts until brown and aromatic. Set aside to cool

In a heavy sauce pan, caramelize the sugar on medium-low heat until all the sugar has melted and the caramel is a rich amber color. Remove from heat, add in the walnuts and fold in with a spoon or rubber spatula until walnuts are coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour coated walnuts onto the pan. working quickly, use two forks to separate the walnuts from clumping together. Sprinkle on a few pinches of sea salt before the caramel hardens. Leave to cool and harden overnight.

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
1 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of sugar (optional for extra sweetness)

In a saucepan, add in balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and set the heat on high. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning, letting the vinegar boil and reduce down to half. When the reduction thickens (coats a wooden spoon) remove from heat and let cool before serving or storing.

Vegetarian Shepard's Pie

 

Yves' Original Veggie Ground is one of my favorite vegetarian protein alternatives. I use it in everything that calls for ground beef and it works.
I used this deliciousness in a yummy vegetarian Shepard's Pie, loaded with some simple vegetables and topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The recipe I included below can easily be made vegan with a few adjustments. Mmm, mmm, good!

Potato Topping
3 large russet potatoes or creamer potatoes, peeled, cleaned and cut into chunks
2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 egg yolks (can be excluded for vegans, just add around 2 more tbsps of milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
5 tbsp milk or unsweetened diary-free milk (soy, almond, oat, etc.)

Place potato chunks into a pot and fill with enough water to submerge potatoes. Add in salt. Cook uncovered on high heat until potatoes are cooked and can be easily mashed against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Drain and reserve potato water if you would like to use it instead of veggie broth for the filling.
Mash while still hot until smooth, and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Mince Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
half an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages of Yves Original Veggie Ground*
1/2 can of corn, drained**
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup veggie broth or reserved potato water
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add in garlic and onion, cooking until aromatic. Add in the veggie ground and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring to break up the chunks. Add in the veggies and stir to incorporate.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch and veggie broth until combined. Stir into the mince filling and simmer on medium heat until it thickens slightly. Stir in thyme, rosemary and season to with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
In a casserole dish, press mince filling into the bottom of the dish and gently scoop and spread the potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 5 tbsp of Parmesan cheese (or bread crumbs) and fork the topping in criss-cross patterns.
Bake until topping turns golden brown and crispy.


*For anyone who do not have Yves or vegetarian ground where you live, 4 cups of crumbled extra firm tofu can be used as a substitute. Since tofu is bland, make sure to pat the tofu dry and season lightly after you crumble it (1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp water).

**For convenience, the vegetables in the filling can be substituted for frozen or canned mixed vegetables.

Bread Days: Adventure IV

On this bread-making venture, I made a few rustic loaves that are delicious and nutricious. It was also an excuse to try out a few different techniques with baking, shaping and slicing as well as a new kind of starter.
The loaves I made included two rustic, round quinoa loaves; two blue cheese and walnut loaves and a fig and orange breakfast loaf.
The quinoa loaves were experimental, using a ratio of 1:1:1 unbleached flour, whole wheat flour and quinoa flour made from ground up quinoa grains. The result was an incredibly moist crumb with a thick, crunchy crust giving off the distinct earthly aroma of the quinoa. Fantastic with butter!

 

The blue cheese and walnut loaves was an experiment conducted with a pre-ferment or biga, a starter that uses 3 1/2 cups of flour, 1/4 tsp of yeast and 2 cups of warm water, mixed together and left overnight to ferment. Although the loaves were delicious in flavor thanks to the blue cheese and crunchy walnut combo, I was disappointed with how the crumb turned out; it was too dense. I will have to retry the pre-ferment again next time.

The fig and orange loaf was an extra that I made when I found a small package of figs and since I dislike how it tastes alone, I decided to chop it up and throw it in some dough to make bread, with some orange zest.
IT WAS SUPERB! Better than cinnamon and raisin bread, with a moist crumb and amazing crust. Now I have a reason for those sweetened figs.

This bread adventure was very experimental but the most success came out with the crust of the breads. I made sure to keep my oven at a very high temperature all the while keeping it humid, whether with a pan of water boiling under the racks or spraying the oven with water in the first and last 10 minutes of baking; this ensured my crust was crunchy but left my crumb moist and delectable.
More bread to come!!!

Loaded Vegetable Lasagna

My dinner.
Lasagna, layered with tomato sauce, white sauce, ricotta, and vegetables. Yum, yum, yummeh!

Montreal Steak with Dirty Mash and Bleu Cheese Salad

Finally got around to cooking a decent meal for my brother and dad since I got back from Vietnam. I've been gone for two weeks for a family issue and my brother and dad stayed at home...from what I heard, they haven't been eating very good meals, which makes me sad!
So, after school (technically a midterm), I went grocery shopping for some ingredients. My dad lovesss steak, so that was what I planned to make. Everything took me an hour to prepare and cook. Hooraay for rush hour cooking! :)
So, some cuts of top sirloin steak, dry-rubbed with Montreal steak spice and pan-grilled to medium-rare perfection. I allowed the steaks to rest 10-15 minutes before serving, and used the au jus as a sauce for the dish. Served with dirty garlic mashed potatoes (dirty as in I left the peel on the potats) and a side of fresh and crisp romaine lettuce, cucumbers and grape tomatoes tossed in a tangy Bleu Cheese vinagrette with extra crumbled bleu cheese; the salad was served in a very cold bowl to keep it fresh.
Brother and dad enjoyed it very much...I've never seen Tommy eat that much meat before, especially beef; just goes to show how much he missed his sister's cooking hahaha!

 

Craving Cake!

So...Vietnamese cakes are one of the best in the world, in my opinion. For my 18th birthday last year, I had a HUGE cake custom-made with an aromatic and sweet cheese-batter, similar to a Japanese cheesecake, with strawberry and whipped cream as a filling. It was HEAVEN. So, of course, I craved it...
Since I currently am in Vietnam, I went out and ordered one. While ordering, I was eying a cake up and down so I bought that cake for the day and the cheesecake for the next. My family in Vietnam thought it was somewhat abnormal to have cake without a reason...my reason was simple; I craved it.

So, the first cake I bought was a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. The filling was something like a pineapple chutney, which was okay...just sucked that they didn't offer chocolate-battered cakes...

The second cake, for the second day, was, of course, the cheese-cake. IT WAS DELICIOUS. I was very impressed by the decor, white chocolate roses and all...even if the cake got a bit smooshed during transport. Only thing is, the cheese wasn't as pre-dominant as the one in my birthday cake...oh wellz.

Steelhead Trout: Baked in Exotic Herbed-Butter

Quick dinner today featuring steel-head trout baked in an aromatic butter spiked with Thai basil, coriander and mint. The fish takes 20-25 minutes to cook in a 375 C oven. Served with rice and a drizzle of coriander-lime brown butter. As for me, I had some fresh goat-cheese ravioli with fresh pasta sauce with lotssss of garlic and lotsss of basil.

Coriander-Lime Brown Butter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh or dried coriander seeds
1 tsp lime zest
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Place the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the butter turns a golden brown color, and takes on a nutty aroma. Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to serve. When ready to serve, turn the butter up to medium heat and whisk in the lime juice. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, add the coriander seeds and zest, turn off the heat and spoon on fish and rice.

  

Red Velvet Cake Roll

So here is the Red Velvet Roulade Cake that I chilled over night. And all I have to say is, "I flippin' love it!!"

Recipe Courtesy of Flo Baker

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar, 5% acidity*
• 4 ounces unsalted butter , at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring (1/2 fluid ounce)

For the white chocolate–cream cheese

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 ounces white chocolate, melted
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 cup (4 to 5 ounces) red raspberries, picked over for stems (optional)

For decoration

• Powdered sugar for decoration
• Red raspberries, picked over for stems, for serving

Directions

Make the cake

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat a small area in the center of a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by-1-inch pan (jelly-roll pan) with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, pressing the foil into the contours of the pan and leaving a 2-inch overhang at each short end (the spray anchors the foil in place to make buttering easier). Butter the foil, then flour it, tapping out the excess flour. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the milk, vanilla, and apple cider. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Continue to beat until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in two or three additions alternately with the milk mixture in one or two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition only until incorporated smoothly. Stop the mixer after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Maintaining the same speed, add the food coloring and mix well to color the batter evenly. Without delay, spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake the cake until it is set on top and springs back when lightly pressed in the center, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. If necessary, run a thin knife blade around the perimeter of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Then pull up on the foil overhang and carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack. Without delay, place a sheet of foil over the cake and manipulate the foil to make a shallow tent (a tent holds in the moisture as the cake cools, but prevents the foil from sticking to the cake). Let cool for about 45 minutes, then proceed to assemble the dessert.

Make the white chocolate–cream cheese filling

5. In a bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth. Pour in half of the chocolate and beat until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally and scraping the mixture clinging to the sides into the center of the bowl. Pour in the remaining chocolate and beat just until combined. Add the butter and then the sugar and almond extract and beat until smooth and creamy. Use right away, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and beat with a rubber spatula, small whisk, or fork until smooth and creamy. You should have about 1 1/3 cups.

Assemble the cake

6. Remove the foil from the top of the cake. Transfer the cake on its bottom sheet of foil to a work surface, placing it so that one of its long sides is parallel to the edge of the surface closest to you. Place another long sheet of aluminum foil on the work surface nearby.
7. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 cup plus about 2 tablespoons of the filling evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border uncovered on the long side farthest from you. (The leftover filling, along with a few berries, makes a good kitchen snack for the baker.) Place the raspberries, if using, randomly on the filling along the length of the cake.
8. Begin rolling the cake by flipping the edge nearest you over onto itself. Then, with the aid of the foil that extends beyond the short sides, roll up the cake lengthwise until you reach the far long side. As you work, wrap the foil around the roll to assist in rounding the shape (otherwise the cake will stick to your hands). To insure the roll is uniform, place the roll in its foil across the bottom third of a 24-inch-long piece of parchment paper, bring the top edge of the paper toward you, and drape it over the cake roll, allowing a 2-inch overhang.
9. Place the edge of a rimless baking sheet at a 45-degree angle to the roll and your work surface. Apply pressure against the roll, trapping the 2-inch overhang, and push while simultaneously pulling the bottom portion of paper toward you. This push-pull motion creates a resistance that results in compressing the log into a uniform shape. If any cracks appeared as you rolled the cake, they are consolidated in this compression and disappear from view.
10. Carefully lift the roll in the aluminum foil and set it, seam side down, on the fresh sheet of foil. Wrap the cake securely in the foil. Transfer the foil-wrapped roll to the baking sheet or shallow tray and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to help set the filling.

To serve

11. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and peel off and discard the foil. Carefully lift the roll onto a serving plate with the aid of a long, wide spatula or a rimless baking sheet. (If not serving right away, cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep the cake’s surface from drying out and return to the refrigerator to serve the same day.) Dust the cake with powdered sugar. Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the roll into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Center each portion on a dessert plate. Accompany with the raspberries.

*Instead of using apple cider or vinegar, I used  raspberry vinegar that added an awesome kick to the cake and a fruity aroma to the cocoa. Yum yum!

Portabella Florentine Lasagna

I had a huge craving for pasta today and decided to make a lasagna Florentine after rummaging through my fridge and found spinach and portabella mushrooms. The idea was simple: create a luxuriously rich and creamy Béchamel Sauce, make a savory mushroom and spinach filling and layer these divine assets between lasagna noodles and mozza cheese.  After baking for half an hour to have all the cheese and delious-ness melt together, I tossed up a quick salad so that I didn't feel too guilty with my indulgence.

I don't have a set recipe for my Béchamel Sauce but you can try following Chef Batali's recipe.

Portabella and Spinach Filling

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large portabella mushroom caps, cut into bit-sized slices
3 tsp salt
3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed, spun dried and chopped
2 tsp nutmeg
Dried or fresh basil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and add the shallots. Cook until transparent, then add in the garlic until aromatic. Turn heat to medium-high and add in the mushrooms and salt, stirring until mushrooms become tender. Lower heat to medium-low and add in baby spinach and stir until spinach is completely wilted but not soggy. Stir in nutmeg and basil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool and remove any excess water/juices. Stir in 1/4 cup of Béchamel sauce.

To layer the lasagna, just go sauce, noodles, filling, cheeses (mozzarella and Parmesan), noodles, filling, cheeses, etc., until you end up with noodles. Top with sauce and cheese. Bake in a 400 F oven for half and hour until cheese have melted and are golden brown. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.


**If you want real protein, chicken is the way to go. Just slice up some chicken and cook before adding in the mushrooms and spinach. If you have left over chicken, shred that up and add to the cooked mushroom/spinach filling. Easy Peasy.

Quick Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti

Just a very quick lunch I threw together using fresh mushrooms, cream of mushroom, some milk and whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Yum, yum, yum! Served with Parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

2 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup of sliced button mushrooms
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti noodles, cooked according to packaged instructions

Heat oil in a skillet and add the garlic until aromatic. Saute in the mushrooms with a pinch of salt until juices begin to emerge. Add in the can of condensed cream and stir on low heat until it breaks into lumps, then add in water and milk. Stir and let the mixture simmer and reduce to a desired thickness. Season according to taste. Add in cooked pasta and a small ladle of the pasta water into the mushroom sauce, stirring until noodles are coated. Serve hot with Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Comfort Food 101: Mac n' Cheese.

Today was a day that I needed some comfort since the skies were gloomy and I was home alone. As I rummaged through all the cupboards and shelves looking for something to munch on, my eyes fell on a bag of elbow pasta and the idea resonated in my mind as if a choir of prepubescent boys were behind me, heavenly singing, "macaroniiiii and cheeeeeese." I got to work right away, bringing a pot of salted water to a boil and cooking the pasta to perfecto al dente. I drained the pasta in a coriander, and using the same pot I used to cook the pasta, I melted 2 tbsp margarine and added the cooked macaroni, stirring until evenly coated under low heat. I added around 1/4 cup milk, stirred then added approx. 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Seasoned with pepper and salt to taste, I added 1 tsp of chili powder for some heat. And voila, done.

Quinoa Griddle Cakes with Lobster Tails

Tried a new recipe out today for quinoa, a healthy, power grain.  The recipe was reccomended to me by a co-worker (manager, actually) and so I wanted to try it out. I made it lacto-ovo vegetarian friendly, and used egg whites instead of the entire egg. I also added black beans to the mixture instead of making a separate salsa.
And I love it! Oh, and I cooked the patties in grape seed oil, instead of vegetable or olive.
I served the cakes with some diced tomatoes and lobster tails broiled in butter for the fam. Definitely going to make these cakes again!
Recipe for the cakes can be found here.
Happy eating!