Mini Monkey Bread

My childhood memories are tainted with hyperbole.

As in the time when my child self spotted a bumble bee as round as a softball hunting me down in the backyard. I thought my life was ending. Or, that my face was about to become one ginormous bee sting. Hence, I thought my life was ending. (Is hence too willy shakespeare?)

And perhaps I also recall my aunt making monkey bread every time she and my uncle and cousins stayed for a weekend visit. It was an extravagant piece of architecture. A cinnamon-sugary dough tower as large as the Empire State building. Erected on our kitchen table.

King Kong could have hung tight on its biscuit rafters.

That bread was stories high.

Or, so it seemed.

Monkey bread: equal parts Nostalgia and Exaggeration. Always, always scrumptious.

Mini Monkey Bread

Ingredients:
           10 muffin cups
           1 can (10) biscuits
           1/4 cup maple or pancake syrup
           2 tbsp butter + 4 tbsp butter
           1/3 cup sugar
           1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
           1. Preheat oven to 450°. Prepare a muffin tin with 10 muffin cups.
           2. Cut each biscuit into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball.

           3. Melt 2 tbsp butter then mix with syrup. Put a spoonful of the 

               butter/syrup mixture in the bottom of each muffin cup.

           4. Combine sugar and cinnamon together and mix well. Melt the other 

               4 tbsp of butter. Dip each biscuit ball into the butter and then roll 
               ball around in cin/sugar mixture. Four biscuit balls for each cup.

           5. Sprinkle any remaining cin/sugar mix over each cup of biscuits.
           6. Bake for 8 minutes.

Serve warm. Heck, even add a bit more syrup or maybe some caramel to the top of these mini delights.

Indulge. No exaggeration necessary. 

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Roasted Asparagus & Oranges

I don't make romantic meals for two . . . yet.

I'm persuaded, however, that when my days are full of wifely love and cooking for two, my meal planning might involve the following: vegetables, citrus, fish, a 400° oven, and about 30 minutes to impress.

Roasting will.save.lives. 

Or at least it could save your Valentine's Day (in case you forgot to plan ahead and make reservations for your love's favorite restaurant, and now you feel weighted down by shame and persecution and lack of ideas and stomach groans . . .). 

Redeem yourself!  

Asparagus. Oranges. Fish. 

It's not at all impossible to take three ordinary foods and create a warm, delectable, and sophisticated dish.

 

 

Roasted Asparagus & Oranges

Ingredients:

          1. a stalk of asparagus (cleaned and thick ends trimmed off)

          2. one or two oranges (cut into wedges)

          3. olive oil, basil, paprika, and sea salt

Directions:

          1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or 

              parchment paper.

          2. Spread out asparagus and orange wedges on sheet and drizzle 

              with a little olive oil.

          3. Sprinkle basil, paprika, and sea salt over top.

          4. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

          5. Let the oranges cool for a few minutes before serving.

Baked Fish Fillet

Now don't go all crazy with the fish. I didn't catch and scale it myself or anything. Not that I know how to do either of those two activities. 

I will learn. 

One day.

The frozen fish section of your local grocer is magical. I made swai for this dish but have used haddock, cod, and salmon before too.

Ingredients:

          1. two fish fillets

          2. sea salt, turmeric, rosemary

Directions:

          1. Cut a large piece of tin foil and place the fillets in the center

          2. Sprinkle with salt, turmeric, and rosemary

          3. Creating a pouch, bring long ends of tin foil together and fold tightly. 

              Fold the smaller ends inward to create a seal.

          4. Place the pouch directly on the oven rack and bake along with the 

              vegetables and oranges (400 for 30 minutes).

          5. Optional: drizzle the excess juice from the fish pouch over the 

              asparagus. So good.

Roast! Toast! And eat warm basil-ly fruit! 

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Rice Pudding

I'd like to tell you that I had a hankering for rice pudding because the chilliness of winter simply called for it. Warm brown sugar. Cinnamon. Sooo winterish.

But January and February have been hijacked by 60-degree days, and so warm indulgent treats beckon without necessity.

I'd also like to persuade you that a gathering of friends arrived to help spoon ridiculous amounts of vanilla-y, nutty goodness from the pot.

Nope. Just me. With a spoon. And an unjustifiable hankering for rice pudding.

Do I own a cow? Nope.

Did I make my own milk? You betcha.

Cashew Milk
Food creds: About.com: Vegetarian foods

Ingredients:
          1/2 cup raw cashews
          2 cups water
          sweetener (honey, stevia, or similiar), optional
          a dash of sea salt (to taste)

Directions:
          1. Soak cashews in water for at least one hour. Drain and rinse.
          2. Put cashews and 2 cups of water in a blender or food processor and
              mix until smooth (about one minute).
          3. Add sweetener and salt, to taste.

I suppose using the term "rice" is a bit misleading. And by a bit, I mean I didn't use rice. At all. Not one grain.

Quinoa. Keen-wa. Say it. Buy it. Eat it. Make up reasons to substitute it for ordinary grains.

It's power-packed. My friend Rachel has a great post on her website, PureGoodness, about the benefits of quinoa and lists other awesome recipes for its use.

As for me, I'll make non-rice pudding out of it. With milk made from nuts.

Quinoa "Rice" Pudding
Food creds: Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
          2 cups water
          1 cup quinoa
          pinch of salt
          2 cups cashew milk
          1 egg
          1/4 cup dark brown sugar
          1 tsp vanilla extract
          1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
           1. Using a medium saucepan, bring water, quinoa, and salt to a boil. 

               Turn to simmer and cook covered for 20-30 minutes. *Quinoa 

               doesn't get as tender as rice does.
           2. Fluff quinoa with a fork and then add the cashew milk.
           3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and brown sugar. Add half 

               a cup of the quinoa mixture into the bowl on spoonful at a time, 

               whisking thoroughly with each addition.
           4. Add the egg mixture back to the saucepan of quinoa and milk, and 

               stir on low heat for 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in vanilla.

           5. Remove from heat and add cinnamon.
                

               Optional: Add raisins. I topped with granola. Yum. 

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Breakfasting

Could I own a bakery that only made crescent rolls filled with a variety of deliciousness and be successful?

I think I could. I think you could. I think this should happen. I think I'm giving you a business tip. I don't know anything about business.

But somewhere in the world someone is baking crescent rolls with something random inside them right this very moment.

In that same kitchen someone is nibbling, oh please, shoveling a mass of flaky carb goodness into her mouth and pondering why that combination hasn't been sold in mass quantity by now.

Perhaps that shoveler is me -- just bein' real.

A decadent spread on Christmas morn'.

Looks like someone else knows a little somethin' about shoveling, too...

My mom is master at escaping the camera lens. I caught her elbow. Small victory.

 

Sausage | Egg Scramble Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

             1 can crescent rolls (8 rolls)

             1 tbsp melted butter
             shredded cheese

             4 eggs

             milk

             seasonings optional (salt, pepper, garlic powder, chives)

             8 sausage links

                         

Directions:

             1. Preheat oven according to can directions. Grease selected cookie

                 sheet.

             2. Unroll crescent rolls and spread melted butter on each one. 

                 Place shredded cheese at one end of roll (the end that you would 

                 begin rolling)

             3. Grease a medium-sized skillet and place over medium heat. 

                 In a bowl, combine eggs, a touch of milk (just enough so that eggs 

                 aren't too runny), and seasonings, then whisk together. Scramble 

                 in skillet.

             4. In a separate skillet, brown sausage links.

             5. On top of cheese, add scrambled eggs and a sausage link and 

                 then roll crescent like normal.

             6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Nutella | Strawberry Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

             1 can crescent rolls (8 rolls)

             Nutella

             8 strawberries (sliced)

                         

Directions:

             1. Preheat oven according to can directions. Grease selected cookie

                 sheet.

             2. Unroll crescent rolls and spread Nutella on each one.

             3. Place 3-4 strawberry slices at top edge of crescent and then roll like 

                 normal.

             4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

             5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional)

           

Happy breakfasting!

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Wishbones & Cheesecakes

Wishbone: Have you pulled one before?

Photo creds: Real Simple

It's a bit like blowing out birthday candles . . . with the unfortunate possibility of having your wish snatched by whoever's grasping the other bony end. And in approximately 0.643 seconds you're intensely concentrating on a wish (or, like most of us, an untold deepest longing that you only ever summon on occasions like birthday candle blowing, shooting stars, or wishbone pulling -- never did marry Rider Strong -- sigh) and hoping your thumb is mightier than your opponent's.

A few years back, I had my first (and last) Thanksgiving wishbone pulling experience. It left me scarred, and not for reasons you might think.

You see, I actually won the bigger half! Against my grandmother.

It was an unfair match; I don't disagree. The family had gathered as spectators in my sister's kitchen to witness whether the matriarch of the family or the youngest of the cousins would claim the wishbone title. I tried with as little force possible to let her break the better portion. A woman whose fingers have clenched victories of various sorts in her lifetime just wouldn't achieve it that day.

It really wasn't so much that I got my wish but that I snatched hers. She seemed so disappointed.

"Aw, Nana, what was your wish?"

"That I'd live another year."

" . . . "

Tell me she did not just say that . . . out loud . . . in front of the entire family!? If she died before next Thanksgiving, that would loom over me for the rest.of.my.life! Not okay. Pretty certain this tops the list of things grandparents should never say to any member of the family.

She lived. 365 days later. And plus. And plusss. And plusplusplusplus. And she's still living. Thank goodness. :) We love her.

But no one lets her touch the wishbone anymore.

~~~

When I was in my early college years, I was usually given the task of bringing such important items as the canned cranberry sauce to the Thanksgiving feast.

I was broke. The family understood. 

Now that I'm in a slightly more stable situation, I offer a much more worthy and promising contribution: cheesecake.

It's kinda become my signature dessert. Last year I made a Pumpkin Swirl cheesecake. What a big decadent hit. Velvety cream cheese with the familiar flavors of pumpkin and spice dancing throughout.

This year I'm making the swirly pump. again, but this time with an Apple Caramel to join it. Yum.

To make a little extra income these past few pre-Thanksgiving weeks, I started selling them at work too. Office grandeur by day; kitchen whiz by night.

I tightened my apron strings and got down to business. 

          - Gettin' toasty -                                  - Cool down -                                     - Chillaxin' - 

If only these pictures were scratch-n-sniff. Mmm mm.

And if our table could drastically multiply itself, I'd invite you all! I certainly would.

But please, someone bring the cranberry sauce. It's no longer my duty. ;)

Have a wonderfully delightful Thanksgiving.

Full of food. Laughter. Memories. Family. Friends.

Photo creds: Hostess with the Mostess

Minus the wishbone.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake

Sometimes I just want simple. I love making things from scratch, but I can't always handle scratch. You know what I mean? You've got things to do; of course you know what I mean!

This spice cake is probably not new to most of you. In fact, I saw it posted on Pinterest just the other day. But this is a classic. The way Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz are classics: not new but always loved, always familiar.

Spice cake, for me, is nostalgic. Every time I smell it baking, I'm reminded of Nana in the kitchen with pans and Crisco and toothpicks and these old old hot pads that are about as faded as Betsy Ross's American flag. That kitchen smelled like autumn. Like fallen leaves and wool sweaters.

Nope. There's not a thing wrong with simple.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients:

             1 box Spice Cake

             1 can pure pumpkin

             1 can frosting (cream cheese or buttercream or vanilla)

Directions:

             1. Preheat oven according to box directions. Grease selected pan

                 and set aside. (I use a 9" springform pan).

             2. Combine cake mix and pumpkin in a bowl until thoroughly

                 incorporated. The batter will seem a bit too dry at first,

                 but stay faithful to mixing and you'll see it will all blend together.

             3. Pour batter into pan and bake according to box directions.

             3. Let the cake cool completely. Heat icing (uncovered) in microwave

                 for about 10-15 seconds and pour on top of the cake allowing the
                 icing to drip off the sides.

Plate it up.

Add a dash of powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and you are in for a fall treat.

Simple.

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White Gazpacho



Soup is welcomed at my table all months of the year. I have no qualms about sharing my bowl and spoon in the summer for something other than cereal or ice cream.

Perhaps my Romanian-ness bred in me this penchant for the slurpy goodness.
Or maybe my jaw's just lazy. It's a toss-up.

For those of you believing that soup's big debut is reserved for winter's frigidity: stop. Just quit it. It's all a myth.

Major thanks to my friend, John Mark, for ushering me into the realm of summer soup: Gazpacho!



Gazpacho is a cold soup that's bread- and vegetable-based. It takes practically no time at all to put together.

Think, C. B. C.

Chop.

Blend.

Chill.

That's it. Your blender is totes jealous at how easy your workload is compared to his (hers?).

And seriously, any food that can demand another food to serve its contents is pretty rockstar. Soup + bread bowl = the reason Panera is so legit.

Dish out your soup in style. Check out these awesome bowls from Anthropologie:

I want to serve ginormous spoonfuls of soup in these bowls!!! And maybe possibly even share. Maybe.

So if you're still not convinced soup can be served without wearing sweaters, scarves, and long-johns, ease your way into soup season with this flavorful chilled concoction.

White Gazpacho

Food creds: Panera Bread

Ingredients:

             4-5 slices french bread*

             2 cups water

             1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped

             2 medium cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped

             1/2 cup champagne vinegar

             1/2 cup almond or olive oil

             3 Tbsp sugar

             2 tsp salt

             1/2 tsp white pepper

             1/2 lb green grapes, rinsed and halved

             1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

             1. Remove crusts from bread slices. Cut bread into 1/2" to make 2

                 cups of bread cubes.

             2. Put bread, water, onion, cucumber, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and

                 white pepper in a blender. Puree until smooth.

             3. Chill soup until it's very cold (at least 2 hours). Serve in cold bowls

                 and garnish with halved grapes and toasted almonds.

*I used rice cakes this time around for a friend who's on a no-yeast fast.

Mmm. Cukes.





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